METHODISM 

FORTY  YEARS  AGO  AND  NOW: 


EMBRACING 


ntmsiittg  $tnhdff*Ras  snfc 


THE   RESPONSIBILITIES,   PRESENT    AND    PROSPECTIVE,  OP 
THE   METHODIST   EPISCOPAL   CHURCH. 


BY  REV.    NEWELL    CULVER, 

MEMBER  OF  THE  NEW  HAMPSHIRE  CONFERENCE. 


With  an  Introduction 
Br  EEV.    LORENZO    D.   BARROWS,    D.D. 


Say  not  thou,  What  is  the  cause  that  the  former  days  were  better  than  these? 
for  thou  dost  not  inquire  wisely  concerning  this.  ECCL.  vii,  10. 


NEW  YORK: 
NELSON    &    PHILLIPS. 

CINCINNATI:  HITCHCOCK  &  WALDEN. 
1873. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  ISVS,  by 

NELSON  &  PHILLIPS, 
in  the  Oflice  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


PREFACE. 


r^^\ 

JEJHE  following  pages  were  com- 
^E 

^  menced  without  any  intention  of 
publishing  a  book.  Being  physically  dis- 
qualified to  perform  further  ministerial 
service  among  the  people  in  person  by 
reason  of  a  long  and  severe  sickness, 
the  writer,  for  his  own  pleasure  and  profit, 
began  to  review  tfie  social,  numerical, 
and  financial  condition  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  forty  years  ago — when 
he  became  one  of  her  members — and  to 
call  to  mind  interesting  reminiscences 
connected  with  his  early  ministry,  and 
to  compare  then  with  now.  He  found 
increasing  interest  in  the.  subject,  and 
continuing  to  write,  he  at  length,  by 


4  Preface. 

the  advice  of  valued  friends,  decided  to 
prepare  a  book  for  the  press. 

He  does  not  claim  for  it  high  literary 
merit.  Historical  or  statistical  errors 
may  be  found  in  it  which  have  escaped 
the  writer's  notice ;  but  he  has  the  satis- 
faction of  feeling  that  what  he  has  re- 
corded herein  is  in  accordance  with  his 
best  recollection  of  early  Methodistic 
facts,  with  oral  and  written  history,  and 
recently  published  reports  of  our  Church 
statistics  and  enterprises;  and  he  hopes 
that  the  task  thus  performed,  though 
imperfectly,  which  he  finds  to  have  been 
so  agreeable  and  encouraging  to  him- 
self, may  be  as  pleasant  and  profitable 

to  the  reader. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


INTRODUCTION. 


THIS  little  volume  is  not  the  work  of  a  croaker  ; 
no  spirit  of  sour  godliness  runs  through  its 
pages ;  therefore  it  need  not  be  read  with  any 
allowance  for  unfounded  prejudice  or  bigotry. 
Though  it  is  natural  and  common  for  those 
who  were  active  in  years  long  gone  by  greatly 
to  magnify  the  excellences  of  the  past  and  de- 
preciate those  of  the  present,  this  is  not  the 
case  with  our  author. 

Nor  is  his  work  severely  partisan  or  sectarian, 
though  it  is  thoroughly  Christian,  experimental, 
and  practical.  It  is  not  so  much  the  object  of 
the  author  to  disprove  the  doctrines  and  usages 
of  other  Churches,  nor  even  to  defend  those  of 
his  own,  as  it  is  to  set  forth  the  particular  oper- 
ation of  the  Spirit  in  the  awakening  and  con- 
version of  men  to  Christ,  and  promoting  revivals 
of  religion.  It  is  therefore  essentially  a  concise 
and  racy  history  of  what  God  has  wrought,  and 
how,  for  the  last  forty  years,  chiefly  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  beginning  with 


6  Introduction. 

his  own  personal  Christian  experience,  which  is 
exceedingly  pleasant  and  profitable  to  read. 
Whatever  honors  God  and  brings  men  to 
Christ  seems  to  fill  his  soul  with  delight,  and 
you  read  on  and  on,  not  wishing  to  pause. 

We  must  never  forget  that  those  who  have 
by  long  and  successful  experience  reached  the 
citadel  of  wisdom  must  not  destroy  the  ladders 
by  which  they  ascended,  as  the  climbers  after 
them,  to  the  end  of  time,  will  need  them.  Pro- 
gression is  a  series  of  stages.  This  book  is  a 
stage  for  the  multitude,  who  can  no  more,  at  a 
single  bound,  reach  the  highest  result  of  Chris- 
tian and  revival  experience,  than  did  the  fathers, 
into  whose  labors  we  now  enter.  All  must  rise, 
if  at  all,  by  steps  ;  and  as  the  great  masses  of 
the  people  are  still  engaged  in  the  battle  of 
physical  and  mental  want,  religious  helps  are  as 
needful  now  as  ever,  or  man's  spiritual  and 
highest  nature  will  suffer  loss,  if  not  defeat,  in 
the  struggle.  These  helps  are  to  come,  so  far 
as  they  are  human,  from  the  lessons  of  expe- 
rience and  history. 

Herein  lies  the  great  excellence  of  this  new 
book :  it  is  a  light  now  burning,  which  shines 
back  over  forty  years,  from  which  all  lovers  of 


Introduction.  7 

Christian  experience  see  wrought  out  and 
worked  over  again  what  in  substance  they  have 
experienced,  strengthening  and  attaching  them 
more  and  more  to  a  vital  religion.  No  pastor 
can  read  it  and  not  feel  quickened  with  renewed 
confidence  in  revivals  and  human  efforts  to  pro- 
mote them.  It  is  good  for  all  to  live  over  again 
and  again  those  rich  and  heavenly  occasions  of  di- 
vine visitation  when  God  has  revealed  himself  in 
saving  souls,  founding  and  building  up  Churches. 
When  the  ministry,  the  Church,  or  individual 
Christians  forget  those  revival  occasions,  they 
are  drifting  in  other  directions  the  Lord  only 
knows  where. 

There  is  a  strong  tendency  in  all  institutions 
and  usages  where  human  agencies  are  involved 
to  this  drifting  spoken  of,  and  if  the  agencies 
are*  chiefly  human,  that  drifting  is  usually  from 
good  to  bad,  and  from  bad  to  worse.  .  This  is 
especially  seen  in  all  forms  of  human  govern- 
ment, political  institutions,  and  political  parties. 
Nations,  governments,  and  political  parties,  be- 
ginning usually  comparatively  in  modesty,  fee- 
bleness, and  purity,  grow  corrupt  as  they  grow 
old  under  their  human  manipulation,  and  they 
have  crumbled  to  atoms,  never  to  be  exactly 


8  Introduction. 

reproduced,  with  as  much  regularity  and  cer- 
tainty as  men  march  to  the  grave.  They  have 
survived  longer  or  shorter,  just  in  proportion  as 
true  and  good  principles  have  oj:  have  not  been 
let  alone  by  the  poisonous  hand  of  man. 

But  the  Church  is  a  divine  institution,  while 
the  means  for  carrying  it  on  are  largely  human  ; 
hence  there  is  danger  to  the  Church  that  she 
may  retrograde,  her  light  grow  dim,  if  not  "  be- 
come darkness,"  though  her  foundations  of  eter- 
nal truth  cannot  utterly  or  finally  fail.  This 
has  often  been  the  case  ;  but  God,  to  prevent 
her  overthrow,  has  always  appeared  just  in  her 
greatest  emergency,  and  burst  upon  darkness 
and  apparent  destruction  with  some  new  light 
and  means  for  her  recovery  and  revival,  wherein 
lies  the  difference  between  the  Church  and 
human  governments  and  other  earthly  institu- 
tions. He  has  raised  up  men  and  measures 
unthought  of,  and  often  turned  back  the  tide  of 
death  with  a  hand  of  power,  though  human, 
that  has  shaken  the  world. 

The  apostolic  Church,  commencing  in  strict 
spirituality  and  simplicity,  soon  grew  powerful 
in  numbers,  then  in  wealth  and  worldly  power ; 
then  formality,  pride,  and  worldliness  followed, 


Introduction.  9 

till  a  dark  night  of  a  thousand  years  and  Ro- 
manism resulted.  But  God  would  not  suffer  his 
Church  to  perish  utterly,  and  so  he  raised  up  a 
Huss,  a  Knox,  a  Luther,  and  others,  to  call  it  back 
to  first  principles,  and  commit  to  the  flames  the 
"  senseless  mummery  "  of  mint,  anise,  and  cum- 
min, which  had  effectually  excluded  the  weightier 
matters  of  the  law  and  the  Gospel.  Such  is  the 
result  of  human  hands  tampering  with  Christ's 
Church,  putting  into  it  what  he  has  left  out,  and 
leaving  out  what  he  has  put  in.  The  "  inven- 
tions sought  out"  by  man  to  improve  God's 
work  always  mar  it. 

On  a  smaller  scale  the  Church  of  England, 
and  indeed  all  other  State  Churches,  continuing 
a  long  time  without  interruption  to  work  out 
their  legitimate  fruits,  show  the  historical  fact 
of  a  retrogression  toward  the  "  dark  ages,"  and 
a  call  for  reformers  such  as  Wesley,  Whitefield, 
Chalmers,  and  others  like  them,  to  save  these 
Churches  from  extinction.  Reposing  «  upon 
empty  forms  and  a  dead  orthodoxy,  they  drifted 
into  the  current  with  the  world  rather  than 
drew  the  world  to  Christ.  Such  a  Church  can- 
not be  the  Church  of  Christ  —  it  gathers  not 
with  him,  but  scatters  abroad. 


io  Introduction. 

The  history  of  the  Puritans  and  the  Pilgrims 
can  hardly  be  regarded  as  an  exception  to  this 
general  fact  in  Church  history.  Much  as  there 
was  that  was  good  and  apostolic  in  them,  there 
was  also  something  that  must  have  been  bad, 
as  it  has  produced  bad  fruit  in  the  shape  of 
Unitarianism,  Universalism,  and  "  Liberal  Chris- 
tianity," or  Infidelity.  The  humanizing  hand 
has  been  too  apparent  in  all  these  branches  of 
the  Church,  hence  they  have  suffered  or  been 
superseded  by  others,  and  so  will  it  be  with  all 
others  to  the  end  of  time  which  depart  from  the 
spirituality  and  simplicity  of  the  Gospel. 

The  great  practical  and  all-absorbing  ques- 
tion with  us  is  whether  or  not  the  career  and 
history  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  shall 
be  like  or  unlike  those  which  have  gone  before 
it.  Is  her  light  also  to  become  dim,  her  spirit- 
uality to  depart,  and  her  altars  to  be  crushed 
with  accumulating  forms  and  empty  ceremo- 
nies ?.  Shall  her  numbers  and  wealth,  and  con- 
sequently her  worldly  power,  lead  her  away  into 
pride  and  abandonment  of  the  meek  and  lowly 
Jesus  ?  Why  should  we  expect  her  history  to 
be  an  exception  to  that  of  all  other  branches  of 
the  Church  ?  Human  nature  and  the  world  are 


Introduction.  1 1 

now  as  of  old,  and  so  is  the  philosophy  of  mind 
and  morals  unchanged.  The  same  humanity 
enters  into  the  modern  as  into  the  ancient 
Church.  And  do  not  the  signs  of  the  coming 
departure  already  begin  to  warn  us  ?  A  grow- 
ing laxity  in  discipline,  increasing  devotion  to 
style  and  fashion,  increasing  members  who 
show  no  heartfelt  devotion  to  Christ,  hoarding 
wealth  while  souls  are  perishing,  and  an  infant 
cry  for  "  more  ritual ;"  the  constant  growth  of 
legislation  in  usages,  forms,  and  machinery  with 
which  we  are  loading  the  Church,  thereby  (nec- 
essarily) abstracting  just  that  amount  of  atten- 
tion from  the  vital  and  cardinal  point — spiritu- 
ality— all  point  in  a  direction  of  hateful  mem- 
ory, and  should  wake  the  attention  of  every 
watchman  on  the  walls  of  Zion. 

Our  hope  that  the  future  of  our  Church  shall 
be  like  its  past  all  centers  in  this  one  thing, 
namely,  that  she  shall  make  the  spiritual  life  of 
God  in  the  soul,  the  conversion  of  the  world  to 
Christ,  and  the  spread  of  scriptural  holiness  over 
these  lands  so  cardinal  and  overshadowing  that 
all  our  discussions  and  legislation  on  all  side 
issues  and  fixings  shall  be  held  comparatively  as 
mere  dust  in  the  balance.  These  are  the  days 


1 2  Introduction, 

of  her  greatest  peril.  Small  numbers,  feeble- 
ness, and  persecution,  have  ever  contributed  to 
spirituality  and  growth  in  the  Church ;  but 
numbers,  wealth,  and  power,  to  decline  and 
downfall. 

Hence  this  little  timely  book  will  be  a  most 
valuable  aid  to  our  reading  people,  turning  back 
their  minds  to  the  days  of  our  Church  youth, 
when  she  had  nothing  but  her  scriptural  doc- 
trines and  usages  to  commend  her  to  the  public 
favor,  and  thus  grew  with  such  unprecedented 
rapidity.  Nothing  can  reveal  to  us  more  clearly 
than  this  whether  or  not  the  Church  now  is 
advancing  or  retrograding  in  what  renders  her 
really  great  and  useful.  This  is  the  vital  point 
to  be  kept  before  the  Church  to  aid  her  to  with- 
stand all  the  influences  and  temptations  now 
assailing  her  to  let  down  her  doctrines,  usages, 
and  discipline.  May  the  history  of  all  Churches 
instruct  and  warn  us  !  may  the  love  we  cherish 
for  the  Church  that,  under  God,  sought  and 
saved  us  evermore,  constrain  us  to  hold  fast  to 
her  landmarks,  and  war  valiantly  against  all  her 
insidious  foes,  and  contend  manfully  for  the 
faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints !  God  forbid 
that  what  he  has  given  us  by  the  high  and  holy 


Introduction.  1 3 

character  and  labors  of  our  fathers  should  suf- 
fer in  our  hands,  to  the  irreparable  loss  of  those 
who  will  come-  after  us  !  Every  age  of  the 
Church  has  its  responsibility.  This  is  ours — 
to  "  hold  fast  that  which  is  good." 

This  line  of  thought  will  be  strengthened  if 
we  consult  our  own  Christian  experience.  We 
often  find,  when  coldness  and  worldliness  have 
damped  the  fire  of  our  Christian  ardor  and  zeal, 
doubts,  fears,  and,  may  be,  skeptical  thoughts 
arise.  Then,  may  be,  we  seek  arguments  to 
re-assure  ourselves.  A  Butler,  a  Paley,  a  Wat- 
son, a  Whedon,  reason  with  an  irresistible  force ; 
but  nothing  so  quickly  and  effectually  puts  the 
soul  at  rest,  without  one  lingering  doubt,  as  to 
refer  to  our  awakening  and  conversion  by  the 
Spirit.  In  a  moment  the  soul  is  filled  with 
assurance,  and  "we  know  whom  we  have  be- 
lieved ;"  and  "  we  know  we  have  passed  from 
death  unto  life."  The  power  of  Christian  expe- 
rience in  proof  of  the  verity  and  divinity  of 
Christianity  has  no  equal.  Hence  it  was  Paul's 
sharp  instrument  in  the  most  critical  hour  of 
his  eventful  and  brilliant  life.  It  is  a  sad  and 
ominous  day  with  the  Christian  when  he  for- 
gets or  thinks  lightly  of  his  conversion  and  con- 


14  Introduction. 

vert  experience ;  and  as  the  Church  is  only  the 
aggregate  of  individuals,  it  is  equally  sad  for  her 
when  she  forgets  the  days  of  her  primitive  spir- 
ituality and  simplicity  of  purpose,  with  her  holy 
zeal  for  Christ  in  the  days  of  her  "  espousals." 

As  we  have  read  this  MS.  book  of  modest  pre- 
tensions, not  so  much  for  literary  criticism  and 
speculation  as  to  refresh  our  mind  with  the  early 
history,  struggles,  and  achievements  of  our  be- 
loved Church,  we  have  enjoyed  much  its  happy, 
brief,  and  racy  summary  of  her  history,  doctrines, 
discipline,  and  usages,  set  forth  in  no  controversial 
but  catholic  and  devout  spirit ;  and  we  have  felt 
to  thank  God  and  the  author  for  the  soul-re- 
freshment we  have  received  from  it,  and  really 
feel  our  piety  quickened,  and  more  intelligently, 
liberally,  and  devoutly  attached  to  the  Church 
than  when  we  commenced  it ;  and  we  hope  it 
may  be  so  with  the  thousands  who  will  read  it. 
And  may  the  beloved  and  afflicted  author  realize 
before  he  goes  home  to  his  final  reward  that, 
under  God,  he  has  done  more  for  him  and  his 
Church  in  this  unpretending  publication  than 
in  all  his  previous  life  and  labors  ! 

L.  D.  BARROWS. 

LAWRENCE,  M!ASS.,  Jan.  1873. 


CONTENTS. 


PART      I. 

CHAPTER  I. 

MY  EARLY  RELIGIOUS  ASSOCIATIONS  AND  PERSONAL  EXPERIENCE 
FORTY  YEARS  AGO  AND  NOW. 

Early  Associations  with  Methodism — Beginning  of  my  Re- 
ligious Life  with  other  Denominational  Surroundings  —  Slow 
Progress — Doubt  and  Fear — Unite  with  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  on  Probation — Begin  to  Preach — Join  in  Full — Join 
New  Hampshire  Conference — Still  Fearful  of  Acceptance  with 
God,  but  Clear  in  Duty  to  Preach— Great  Trial  of  Faith— Relief 
and  Victory — Contrast  between,  my  Physical  Condition  and  Re- 
ligious Enjoyment  Then  and  Now — Present  Prostrated  Phys- 
ical Condition — Great  Peace  and  Bright  Prospects Page  21 

CHAPTER  II. 

CLASS-MEETINGS  FORTY  YEARS  AGO  AND  NOW. 

How  Conducted  Then — Opposition  to  Them — Their  Useful- 
ness— Reminiscences — Class-meetings  Now •  31 

CHAPTER  HI. 

CIRCUITS,  STATIONS,  AND  SALARIES. 

Size  of  Circuits — Labor  Required — Mode  of  Traveling — An 
Incident — Present  Stationing  System — Advantages  and  Disad- 
vantages— Salaries  Then  and  Now — A  Practical  Lesson  from 
"  Dear-bought "  Experience 39 

CHAPTER  IY. 

QUARTERLY  MEETINGS  THEN  AND  NOW. 

"Old-fashioned"  Quarterly  Meeting — Guarding  Love-Feast 
Door— A  Reminiscence — Modern  Quarterly  Meeting 57 


1 6  Contents. 

CHAPTER  V. 

METHODISTIC  CUSTOMS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS. 

Styfe  of  Dress — Incident  Related — Kneeling  during  Public 
and  Social  Prayer — Practice  of  Shouting  and  other  Responses 
— Losing  Strength — Public  Testimony  for  Christ Page  21 

CHAPTER  VL 

VISITING  FROM  HOUSE  TO  HOUSE. 

Made  a  Special  Duty — Different  Modes  of  Performing  It — A 
Presiding  Elder's  Advice — He  Relates  an  Incident — Reminis- 
cences of  Personal  Experience — Pastoral  Visiting  an  Impera- 
tive Duty 75 

CHAPTER  VJL 

CAMP-MEETINGS  THEN  AND  NOW. 

The  Preparation  Demanded — Inconveniences  Connected  with 
their  Maintenance — Their  Success — Their  Present  Conven- 
iences— Attendance  and  Success — Pleasant  Summer  Resorts — 
A  Word  of  Caution 86 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

PARSONAGES  AND  CHURCHES. 

Parsonages — Few  in  Number — Frequent  Inconvenience  in 
respect  to  Location — Scarcity  of  Room  and  Furniture — Present 
Number  and  Accommodations — Churches — Style — Cost  and 
Number  compared  with  Forty  Years  Ago — Rapid  Progress 
in  Church  Building — Free  and  Modest  Churches  our  Church 
Policy 92 

CHAPTER  IX. 

OPPOSITION  TO  METHODIST  DOCTRINES  AND  USAGES  FORTY 
YEARS  AGO,  AND  FRATERNAL  RELATIONS  WITH  EVANGELICAL 
CHURCHES  NOW. 

High-Church  Opposition  to  Methodistic  Ordinations  and.  Sac- 
raments— Calvinistic  Opposition  to  her  Doctrines — Reminis- 


Contents.  17 

cences — Opposition  to  her  Separate  Sunday-School,  Bible,  and 
Tract  Societies — Home  Missions — Reported  Moral  Waste  in 
Valley  of  Mississippi — Ineorapetency  of  the  Ministry  there — 
The  American  Temperance  Society  Question — A  Reminiscence 
— Universalism — Anecdotes — Present  Fraternal  Relations  of 
the  Churches  of  Evangelical  Faith  Now Page  99 

CHAPTER  X. 

WOMAN'S  WORK  IN  THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  THEN 
AND  NOW. 

The  Public  Testimony  for  Christ  in  Promiscuous  Assemblies 
— Her  Sphere  of  Usefulness  and  Special  Labors  Then — Her  In- 
creased Sphere  of  Usefulness  Now — "  The  Ladies'  and  Pastors' 
Christian  Union  " — "  The  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  " 
—  General  Conference  Report  on  "  Woman's  Work  in  the 
Church  " 126 

CHAPTER  XI. 

METHODISM  AND  SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. 

Position  of  the  Methodists  Respecting  Them  at  the  Time  of 
their  Origin — "  The  First  Sunday-school  in  America  " — Their 
Number  and  Condition  Forty  Years  Ago — Their  Present  Num- 
ber and  Condition — Sunday-school  Library  Books — Periodicals 
and  Requisites — Normal  Department — Demands  for  Increased 
Efforts — Other  Improvements  Needed 133 

CHAPTER  XII. 

"  GATHERING  FRUIT  UNTO  LIFE  ETERNAL." 

Interesting  Instances  of  Conversions  by  Special  Efforts  years 
ago— Important  Results  since 142 

CHAPTER  XIII 

EDUCATIONAL  ADVANTAGES  FORTY  YEARS  AGO  AND  NOW. 

Academies  and  Seminaries  Then — Their  Condition  and  Num- 
ber— The  First  One  Established  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal 


1 8  Contents. 

Church — Number  and  Condition  Now — Colleges  and  Universi- 
ties Then — "Wesleyan  University — Its  Origin — Dickinson  Col- 
lege and  Alleghauy  College — Previous  Disadvantages  and  Em- 
barrassments in  Educational  Interests — Number  and  Condi- 
tion of  Colleges  and  Universities  in  the  Church  Now — Female 
Colleges — Appointment  of  Secretary  of  Education — Theological 
Schools — Former  Prejudice  Against  Them — Efforts  used  to 
Establish  Them — First  One  Established — Present  Number  and 
Condition Page  159 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

METHODISM  AND  THE  ABOLITION  OP  SLAVERY. 

Position  of  the  Church  on  the  Subject  Forty  Tears  Ago — 
High  Prior  Antislavery  Position — Beginning  of  the  Abolition 
Excitement — General  Conference  Discussion  in  1836 — "The 
Immortal  Fourteen" — Southern  Secession  in  1844 — Its  Causes 
— Rapid  Spread  of  Abolitionism — "War  of  the  Rebellion — Pres- 
ident Lincoln's  Proclamation  of  Emancipation — Methodism 
and  the  War — Present  Mental,  Social,  and  Moral  Condition  of 
Freedmen 174 

CHAPTER  XY. 

LAY  DELEGATION  FORTY  YEARS  AGO  AND  NOW. 

Strongly  Opposed  Then — Stormy  Discussions — Secessions 
from  the  Church — Rapid  Progress  of  Lay  Delegation  Sentiment 
— Plan  Proposed  by  General  Conference  of  1868 — Indorsed  by 
both  Ministers  and  Lay  Members — Lay  Element  in  General 
Conference  of  1872 188 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

NUMERICAL    STRENGTH   OF   METHODISM  FORTY   YEARS   AGO  AND 
NOW. 

Statistics  Then — Rapid  Growth — Present  Numerical  Strength 
— Growth  in  the  North-west — Rapid  Growth  among  German 
Immigrants — General  Conferences  of  1832  and  1872 196 


Contents.  19 


CHAPTER  XVH. 

BISHOPS  OF  THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

Bishops  Forty  Tears  Ago — Previous  Bishops — Those  Elected 
and  Serving  the  Church  from  1832  to  1872 — Those  Elected  at 
General  Conference  of  1872 — Efforts  for  Bishop  of  African  De- 
scent— Colored  Bishops  for  Liberia  Mission Page  207 

CHAPTER  XVIIL 

METHODIST  BOOK  CONCEEN  FORTY  YEARS  AGO  AND  NOW. 

Its  Valuation  in  1832 — Its  Origin — Its  Removal  to  and  En- 
largement in  New  York  City — Its  Destruction  by  Fire — Its 
Re-establishment — Its  Progress  and  Reputation — Its  Edifice  in 
Broadway — Exciting  Reports  of  Fraud  and  Mismanagement — 
Various  Investigations  by  Book  Committee — Final  Verdict  by 
General  Conference  of  1872 219 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

METHODIST  MISSIONS  FORTY  YEARS  AGO  AND  NOW. 

Their  State  of  Progress  in  1832 — Origin  and  Success  of  Wy- 
andotte  Indian  Mission — John  Stewart  its  great  Apostle — Ori- 
gin of  the  Liberia  Mission — Melville  B.  Cox  its  first  Missionary 
— His  Death — Origin  of  the  Flathead  Indian  Mission — Jason 
and  Daniel  Lee  its  first  Missionaries — Great  Interest  created 
by  the  Establishment  of  the  African  Mission — Interest  felt  in 
the  Flathead  Mission — Progress  of  the  Missionary  Cause  since 
— Present  Number  and  State  of  our  Missions — Demands  for 
Increased  Efforts  . .  .242 


PART     II. 

CHAPTER  I. 

METHODISM — HER  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES. 

With  Reference  to  Her  Numerical  Strength — Her  Financial 
Prosperity — Her  Ministry — Her  Mission  Work 259 


2O  Contents. 

CHAPTER  IL 

METHODISM  AND  THE  YOUTH  OP  OUR  COUNTRY. 

The  Great  Number  of  Youth  to  be  Cared  for — Facilities 
for  their  Education  in  Seminaries — In  Sunday-schools — Efforts 
Demanded  for  their  Education  and  Salvation Page  272 

CHAPTER  III. 

METHODISM — HER  CONVERTS  AND  PROBATIONERS. 

Her  Revivals  of  Religion  and  Rapid  Church  Increase — Her 
Special  Privileges  to  Converts — Their  Early  Reception  as  Pro- 
bationers Important — The  Manner  of  Reception  Considered — 
Faithful  Instruction  and  Encouragement  Demanded — Lack  of 
Nurturing  Hazardous  —  Their  Individual  Responsibilities  — 
Church-members  and  Probationers  Urged  to  Duty 280 

CHAPTER  IV. 

MUTUAL  CLAIMS  GROWING  OTJT  OF  OUR  ITINERANT  MINISTRY. 

Mutual  Submission  to  the  Appointing  Power  of  the  Church 
— Mutual  Receptions  Required — Mutual  Aid  with  Reference  to 
Removals  and  Parsonages — Salaries — Early  Acquaintance  to 
be  Mutually  Sought — Liberty  of  Conscience  Necessary  in  Mat- 
ters of  Political  Action — Reputation  of  Pastors  and  People 
Mutually  to  be  Sought — Closing  Duties  Required  of  Both  at 
Termination  of  Pastoral  Relation 286 

CHAPTER  V. 

METHODISM — WHAT  ARE  HER  ASSURANCES  FOR  FUTURE  SUCCESS? 

Practical  and  Experimental  Godliness — It  will  Secure  Her 
Against  Heretical  Doctrines — Give  Safety  to  the  "Workings  of 
Her  Ecclesiastical  Polity — Give  Catholicity  of  Spirit — Give  Prop- 
er Direction  to  Her  Vast  Resources — Secure  Divine  Protection 
— Secure  the  Presence  and  Power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. . . .  303 


METHODISM 
FORTY  YEARS  AGO  AND  NOW. 


art    J  ir  &  i. 


CHAPTER  I. 

My  Early  Religious  Associations  and  Per- 
sonal  Experience. 

THEN    AND    NOW. 

(ROM  early  life  I  have  been  somewhat 
familiar  with  Methodism.  My  father  was 
a  member  of  the  first  class  formed  on  the 
"  Old  Barnard  Circuit"  in  Vermont,  in  the  early 
days  of  our  Church  in  that  State.  In  his  days 
of  active  business  life,  he,  for  years,  held  official 
relations  therein.  My  mother,  though  not  a 
professor  of  religion,  was  deeply  interested  in 
the  moral  welfare  of  her  household. 

Our  house  was  frequently  favored  with  visits 
from  many  of  those  early  veterans  of  the  Cross, 
whose  names  are  familiarly  known  in  our  Church 
histories.  The  influence  they  bequeathed  to 


22     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

us  is  as  fragrant  as  "  the  precious  ointment 
poured  forth."  From  a  child  I  have  heard  their 
names  spoken  and  their  deeds  praised.  Many 
of  these  were  our  circuit  preachers  and  frequent 
visitors  at  my  early  home.  Their  countenances, 
style  of  speech  and  dress,  mode  of  traveling, 
manner  of  preaching,  and  general  appearance, 
became  familiar  to  me.  Our  house,  being  large, 
was  sometimes  opened,  for  the  want  of  a  more 
convenient  place,  for  public  religious  services 
on  the  Sabbath  and  other  days.  These  early 
associations  had  a  powerful  influence  on  my 
youthful  heart  and  life. 

When  in  my  twenty-first  year  I  sought,  and 
I  trust  found,  "  the  pearl  of  great  price."  I  was 
then  away  from  home,  engaged  in  teaching. 
My  denominational  surroundings  were  very  un- 
like those  with  which  I  had  been  previously 
associated. 

The  pastors  of  the  different  Churches  were 
good  men  and  popular  preachers,  and  many  of 
their  members  worthy  Christians ;  but  I  could 
not  be  edified  with  the  High-Churchism,  and, 
to  me,  dull  formalisms  of  the  Episcopalians  ; 
nor  with  the  Calvinistic  and  freely-expressed 
opinions  concerning  the  fearful  danger  of  enter- 
taining a  "false  hope,"  held  by  the  Congregation- 
alists  ;  neither  with  the  sentiments,  tenaciously 


My  Personal  Experience.  23 

advocated  by  the  people  called  "Christians," 
with  reference  to  the  character  of  Christ,  "  the 
sleep  of  the  dead,"  and  "  the  annihilation  of  the 
wicked." 

Though  I  sought  to  be  faithful  in  Christian 
duties,  and  never  failed  to  take  some  part  in 
their  social  meetings,  yet  I  found  myself  often 
unconsciously  utteri  tg  sentiments  which  were 
adverse  to  theirs,  sometimes  subjecting  me  to 
the  necessity  of  self-vindication. 

Such  surroundings  and  influences  had  an  ad- 
verse effect  upon  my  progress  in  the  divine 
life.  My  experience  was  unsatisfactory.  I  could 
not  tell  the  time  nor  place  of  my  conversion,  and 
had  almost  constant  fears  that  I  had  not  "  passed 
from  death  unto  life." 

Well  do  I  remember  the  first  love-feast  I  ever 
attended,  some  months  after  I  began  the  Chris- 
tian life.  The  testimonies  there  given  were 
very  positively  expressed.  Various  ones  said 
that  they  knew,  beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt, 
that  they  loved  God,  and  could  tell  just  when 
and  where  they  were  converted.  Such  positive 
testimonies  grated  upon  my  ear.  I  thought 
they  were  a  little  too  certain  about  it,  and  that 
becoming  modesty  required  that  they  should 
be  less  positive. 

After  the  love-feast  was  through  my  excel- 


24     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

lent  pastor  kindly  asked  me,  "  How  did  you 
like  the  meeting?"  I  answered,  "Very  well, 
only  they  were  a  little  too  sure  they  loved  the 
Lord;"  and  believing  him  to  be  a  judicious 
man,  inquired,  "  Don't  you  think  so  too  ?"  His 
reply  disappointed  me.  It  was  this,  "  I  am  will- 
ing people  should  love  the  Lord,  and  if  they  do, 
it  is  proper  that  they  should  say  so ! "  This 
was  a  kind  and  gentle  rebuke  to  me  for  my 
uncharitable  suggestion,  and  it  had  a  good 
effect  upon  me.  I  concluded  it  was  not  best  to 
complain  of  others  for  having  reached  an  ex- 
perience beyond  my  own.  Though  I  could  not 
say  that  I  knew  that  I  loved  the  Lord,  yet,  if 
others  did,  they  might  "  say  so"  and  I  would  try 
to  love  him  too. 

On  the  1 5th  day  of  July,  1832, 1  was  baptized 
by  our  preacher  in  charge,  Rev.  E.  Jordan,  and 
received  on  probation  into  Society. 

Having  felt  it  to  be  my  imperative  duty  to 
preach  the  Gospel,  I  began,  with  the  approba- 
tion of  my  pastor,  six  weeks  after  this,  my  life- 
work,  and  continued  to  hold  meetings  to  the 
end  of  my  probation,  when  I  was  received  into 
full  membership  in  the  Church,  and  at  the  same 
time  was  licensed  to  exhort.  Three  months 
after  this  the  quarterly  conference  licensed  me 
to  preach,  and  recommended  me  as  a  suitable 


My  Personal  Experience.  2$ 

person  to  join  the  conference.  The  Rev.  B.  R. 
Hoyt,  the  presiding  elder,  immediately  em- 
ployed me  for  the  remaining  three  months  of 
the  conference  year  to  fill  the  place  of  the 
junior  preacher,  whose  health  had  failed.  Six 
months  from  the  time  of  my  reception  into  the 
Church  I  was  admitted  into  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Conference,  and  received  my  first  ap- 
pointment. 

My  evidences  of  divine  acceptance  continued 
to  increase,  until  at  length  I  proclaimed  to  the 
people  that  "  I  too  loved  God  with  all  my  heart." 
Then  followed  "a  great  fight  of  affliction." 
"  Satan  desired  to  have  me  that  he  might  sift 
me  as  wheat."  Sift  all  the  wheat  out  of  me, 
and  leave  only  the  chaff.  It  was  the  hour  of 
the  "  prince  of  darkness." 

For  the  space  of  two  weeks  I  remained  in  a 
state  of  deep  despair.  All  hope  of  heaven  had 
left  me.  I  felt  that  I  was  surely  doomed  to 
eternal  despair,  and  that  already  "  the  pains  of 
hell  had  gotten  hold  upon  me." 

During  all  this  time  I  did  not  question  my 
duty  to  warn  the  people  "  to  flee  the  wrath  to 
come,"  as  I  visited  from  house  to  house,  and 
kept  on  preaching  according  to  previous  notice. 
I  even,  conscientiously,  refrained  from  speaking 
of  my  despairing  feelings,  lest  I  should  wound 


26     MetJiodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

the  precious  cause  of  Christ.  I  could  not 
preach  the  Gospel,  for  this  was  hid  from  me,  but 
could  and  did  "  proclaim  the  day  of  vengeance 
of  our  God."  At  length  I  found  sweet  relief 
from  this  sad  state  of  mind  at  a  little  old  hut, 
where  lived  a  blessed  saint  of  deep  experience 
in  the  things  of  Gospel  grace,  who  was  nearly 
a  hundred  years  old.  By  her  godly  counsel, 
cheering  assurances,  and  earnest  prayers,  light 
dawned  upon  me,  which  gradually  increased 
unto  a  joyful,  cloudless  day. 

Such  a  "horror  of  darkness"  has  never  yet 
returned  to  me.  With  my  "shield  of  faith"  I 
have  been  enabled  to  "quench  all  the  fiery 
darts  of  the  enemy."  Indeed,  when  having  the 
"  whole  armor  on,  I  have  been  conqueror,  and 
more  than  conqueror,  through  Him  who  has 
loved  me." 

A  sense  of  my  unfaithfulness  and  weakness 
has  often  oppressed  me.  I  lament  to-day  that  I 
have  not  been,  and  am  not  now,  a  better  Chris- 
tian. But  "  I  know  whom  I  have  believed,  and 
that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  I  have  committed 
unto  him  against  that  day  "  when  he  shall  gather 
his  own  into  joys  immortal.  "  The  name  of  the 
Lord  is  a  strong  tower ;  the  righteous  runneth 
into  it  and  is  safe." 

This  early  experience  I  will   now  compare 


My  Personal  Experience.  27 

with  my  present.  In  doing  so  I  purposely 
omit  to  refer,  with  any  defmiteness,  to  my  sub- 
sequent labors,  conflicts,  and  triumphs  while 
in  the  active  ministry,  as  not  relevant  to  my 
present  arrangement  of  thought,  and  call  the 
reader's  attention  to  my  more  recent  experience 
in  the  divine  life.  My  fortieth  year  in  the  min- 
istry began  in  utter  physical  prostration,  great 
suffering,  and  almost  certain  prospect  of  death. 
I  continued  in  this  condition  for  about  eight 
months,  with  no  other  expectation  for  the  major 
part  of  that  time  than  the  daily  prospect  of  ex- 
changing earth  for  heaven. 

During  all  this  time  I  was  sustained  by  the 
grace  of  God,  comforted  by  the  precious  prom- 
ises of  his  word,  cheered  by  his  conscious 
presence,  and  filled  with  bright  hopes  of  the 
better  life.  My  joy  was  not  ecstatic.  It  was 
perfectly  satisfactory  to  feel  that,  "  though  my 
heart  and  flesh  fail,"  God  would  be  "the  strength 
of  my  heart,  and  my  portion  forever."  And 
now,  though  but  partially  recovered  and  still  a 
cripple,  with  but  faint  prospect  of  ever  recov- 
ering health  beyond  its  present  state,  I  am 
calm,  peaceful,  hopeful,  and,  I  think,  resigned  to 
my  lot.  I  greatly  marvel  that  such  a  poor  and 
unworthy  sinner,  though  saved  through  infinite 
grace  in  Jesus  Christ  from  the  guilt  of  sin  by 


28     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

pardoning  mercy,  can  thus  be  kept  from  de- 
sponding feelings.  I  attribute  all  to  the  special 
care  of  Him  who  tenderly  puts  "underneath 
me  his  everlasting  arms"  of  love  and  mercy. 
In  my  physical  prostration  and  earthly  unfa- 
vorable prospects  I  can  truly  say, 

"  The  day  glides  sweetly  o'.er  my  head, 

Made  up  of  innocence  and  love ; 
And  soft  and  silent  as  the  shade 

My  nightly  minutes  gently  move. 

I  often  look  to  the  heavenly  hills, 

Where  groves  of  living  pleasures  grow, 

And  longing  hopes  and  cheerful  smiles 
Sit  undisturbed  upon  my  brow." 

What  a  contrast  between  this  and  the  expe- 
rience of  forty  years  ago  !  I  was  then  in  perfect 
health,  of  buoyant  spirits,  full  of  courage,  and 
with  bright  earthly  hopes.  But  I  was  full,  also, 
of  religious  doubts  and  fears.  From  a  stern 
sense  of  duty  I  was  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel, 
although  the  power  of  that  Gospel  had,  as 
yet,  not  been  clearly  revealed  to  my  youthful 
heart.  Now,  under  these  changed  and  nat- 
urally depressing  circumstances,  I  can  feel  to 
"  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  be  patient  in  tribulation, 

and  can 

Read  my  title  clear 
To  mansions  in  the  skies.'  " 


My  Personal  Experience.  29 

Does  the  reader  ask,  Through  what  means 
and  instrumentalities  has  come  about  this  great 
change  ?  I  answer,  By  the  grace  of  God  in 
Christ,  through  Methodism.  I  would  give  due 
credit  to  other  orthodox  Churches  for  many 
excellent  sentiments  and  beautiful  examples  of 
deep  Christian  experience  and  exalted  virtues, 
which  have  their  salutary  influence  on  others, 
but  /  needed  the  benefit  of  the  Methodistic 
doctrines  of  free  grace,  of  present  free  and  full 
salvation,  a  knowledge  of  present,  acceptance 
with  God,  and  "full  assurance  of  hope"  to  meet 
my  special  necessities.  I  needed  the  soul-stir- 
ring hymns,  the  earnest,  importunate  prayers, 
the  hearty  responsive  shouts  of  praise  to  God, 
the  clear  testimonies  of  love  to  him,  and  the 
wide-awake,  free,  social  means  of  grace  of  Meth- 
odism to  help  me  into  the  deeper  waters  of  life 
than  I  had  heretofore  fathomed. 

I  might  have  reached  this  better  state  of 
Christian  experience  elsewhere  as  well  as  with 
the  Methodists  ;  but  there  would  have  been 
more  danger  of  "groping  my  way"  to  the  better 
land,  only  "hoping  I  had  a  hope,"  and  feeling 
the  extreme  danger  of  "  being  deceived,"  and 
shuddering  at  hearing  any  one  say,  "  I  know 
whom  I  have  believed,"  than  in  the  good  old 
Bible  testimony  I  have  so  often  heard  among 


3O     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

my  own  people,  such  as  "  His  Spirit  witnesseth 
with  our  spirit  that  we  are  the  children  of  God." 
"We  know  we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life, 
because  we  love  the  brethren."  And  then  those 
good  old  hymns,-such  as — 

"  My  God  is  reconciled ; 

His  pard'ning  voice  I  hear: 
He  owns  me  for  his  child ; 

/can  no  longer  fear: 
With  confidence  I  now  draw  nigh, 
And  Father,  Abba,  Father,  cry." 

And  this — 

"  Exults  our  rising  soul, 

Disburdened  of  her  load, 
And  swells,  unutterably  full 

Of  glory  and  of  God." 

Thus  have  I  been  led  along  by  the  Hand 
divine,  cheered  and  confirmed  in  experience, 
comforted  and  aided  by  prayers  of  faith  and 
deeds  of  love,  in  sickness  and  health,  succored 
in  trials  and  victorious  in  conflicts,  through  the 
instrumentalities,  associations,  and  influences 
of  Methodism,  for  these  forty  years  past.  To 
God,  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  him  alone,  will -I 
ascribe  all  the  praise. 


Class-Meetings.  31 


CHAPTER  II. 

Class-Meetings  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

ETHODISM  began  with  class-meetings, 
and  they  have  proved  to  be  our  great 
nurseries  of  piety,  a  leading  element  of 
success.  Forty  years  ago,  except  in  more  com- 
pact places,  as  in  cities  and  villages,  it  required 
great  effort  to  sustain  them.  As  the  members 
were  scattered  over  a  region  of  several  miles 
around,  they  could  not  meet  without  making 
special  effort ;  but  they  enjoyed  their  meetings 
all  the  more  for  their  painstaking. 

In  many  country  classes  they  were  obliged 
to  reserve  the  privileges  of  class  till  the  days  of 
the  pastor's  lecture  appointments,  once  in  two 
weeks  in  those  sections  of  the  circuits  where 
most  of  the  members  resided,  and  then  meet 
after  the  more  public  services.  In  other  places 
they  met  at  noon  on  the  Sabbath,  or  after  the 
afternoon  public  services  closed  ;  but  whenever 
or  wherever  class-meetings  were  held  in  those 
days  they  were,  with  rare  exceptions,  seasons 


32    Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

of  special  interest  and  of  much  profit  to  the 
attendants. 

It  seems  to  some  of  us  who  used  to  attend 
them  that  the  conversational  style  of  conducting 
them,  as  then  practiced,  between  leaders  and 
members  with  reference  to  personal  experience 
and  the  practice  and  growth  of  Christian  vir- 
tues, was  a  very  valuable  characteristic  of  class- 
meetings. 

Not  unfrequently  difficulties  between  mem- 
bers were  settled,  unworthy  ones  excluded  from 
society,  probationers  received  into  full  member- 
ship, and  as  a  general  rule  it  was  pretty  accu- 
rately ascertained  that  our  people  valued  or 
undervalued  class  attendance  very  nearly  in 
proportion  to  their  state  of  religious  interest. 

We  used  to  hear  objections  brought  against 
them  by  people  outside  of  Methodism.  One 
quality  of  people,  who,  if  pious  at  all,  possessed 
it  only  in  a  low  degree,  never  saying  any  thing, 
or  the  next  thing  thereto,  on  the  subject  of  their 
own  experience  or  Chrisfian  progress,  were  quite 
forward  in  their  opposition  to  them.  Their 
main  objection  was  this :  "  Class-meetings  are 
too  much  like  the  Romish  confessional.  The 
members  are  sharply  questioned  by  the  leader, 
to  whom  they  must  make  confession  of  their 
shortcomings  and  unworthiness,  and  ask  his 


Class-Meetings.  33 

prayers  on  their  behalf  for  pardon  and  salva- 
tion." An  objection  too  ridiculous  to  need 
refutation. 

Another  objection  came  from  a  very  different 
source,  and  was  of  an  opposite  kind.  "  Class- 
meetings  are  too  exclusive.  People  -who  are  not 
members  are  prohibited  by  Discipline  from 
attending  more  than  twice  or  thrice  un- 
less they  become  members.  Now,"  they  used 
to  say,  "if  these  are  good  meetings,  why  not 
open  the  doors  wide  enough  to  admit  any  who 
may  be  disposed  to  attend  them  ?" 

Our  answer  was  :  "  Class-meetings  are  for 
class-members,  and  the  open  doors  proposed 
would  thwart  their  design  by  admitting  such  as 
are  not  in  sympathy  with  us,  and  perhaps  real 
enemies  of  the  cause  of  Christ."  Other  objec- 
tions were  sometimes  urged  in  those  days,  but 
they  did  not  militate  against  the  cause  to  its 
special  detriment. 

Many  interesting  reminiscences  might  be 
recorded  of  class-meetings,  especially  as  con- 
nected with  our  early  ministry,  from  among 
which  we  select  the  following  : 

In  a  certain  Vermont  station,  where  our 
young  people  were  gay,  social,  and  joyous, 
more  inclined  to  sinful  amusements  than  to  re- 
ligion, though  constant  Church -goers 'and  Bible- 
3 


34    Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

class  scholars,  we  were  sometimes  annoyed  by 
their  thoughtless  manners  in  the  Sabbath  even- 
ing prayer-meetings.  At  length,  by  the  advice 
of  brethren,  the  class-meeting  was  changed  to 
Sabbath  evening  instead  of  the  prayer-meeting, 
and  the  prayer-meeting  was  appointed  for  the 
evening  of  class-meeting,  and  in  its  stead. 
This  was  to  be  only  a  temporary  arrangement, 
and  to  be  tried  as  an  experiment  to  break  up 
the  annoyances  complained  of.  Our  young 
friends  saw  the  point  aimed  at,  and  on  the 
evening  appointed  for  prayer  were  out  in  good 
numbers.  At  the  Sabbath  evening  class-meet- 
ing some  twenty  of  them  were  on  hand  in  high 
glee  for  a  good  time.  The  pastor  explained  to 
them  the  nature  and  design  of  class-meetings, 
and  that  all  present  would  be  expected  to  kneel 
in  prayer-time,  and  all  would  be  spoken  to  sep- 
arately on  the  subject  of  religion,  and  when  ad- 
dressed each  would  be  expected  to  rise  up  and 
give  respectful  answers  to  questions  propounded, 
and  speak  in  appropriate  language  in  regard  to 
their  personal  interest  in  matters  of  religion, 
and  that  in  no  instance  had  we  ever  known  a 
gentleman  or  lady  to  refuse  to  comply  with  such 
reasonable  requests  when  respectfully  presented 
and  understood.  How  the  jolly  young  company 
of  class-attendants  received  the  instructions  we 


Class-  Meetings.  3  5 

were  somewhat  in  doubt.  It  was  enough  for 
me  to-  know  they  all  knelt  in  prayer-time,  and 
when  spoken  to,  as  others  were,  each  arose  and 
gave  in  respectful  language  responses  to  what 
was  said  to  them,  and  received  our  advice  with 
apparent  seriousness.  Some  spoke  with  tremu- 
lous voices  and  tearful  eyes  ;  a  few  wept,  con- 
fessed, asked  for  the  prayers  of  the  class, 
sought  and  found  the  Saviour,  and  in  due  time 
joined  the  Church,  which  thus  assisted  them  in 
starting  in  the  better  way.  Their  attendance 
at  that  class-meeting,  if  designed  for  evil,  was 
overruled  for  good. 

ANOTHER   REMINISCENCE 

Of  those  earlier  days  in  class-meeting  expe- 
rience was  reference  to  a  good  and  faithful 
class-leader.  On  a  certain  evening,  though 
usually  prompt,  he  was  late  to  class.  He  soon 
explained  to  us  the  cause  of  his  tardiness.  He 
said,  "  I  had  been  working  in  my  barn,  and  was 
anxious  to  close  up  a  certain  piece  of  work  be- 
fore dark ;  but  along  in  the  afternoon  I  began 
to  think  that  I  must  give  up  attending  my  class 
in  the  evening.  I  soon  met  with  an  accident, 
which  seemed  to  say  to  me,  'Go  to  class-meeting-' 
But,"  said  he,  " '  I  cant  go  because  I  am  so  hin- 
dered.' Awhile  after,  when  hurrying  my  work 


36    Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

along,  my  sleigh,  which  had  been  carefully 
placed  on  a  platform  over  the  floor,  came,  down 
with  a  -crash  and  was  damaged,  seeming  to  say, 
'  Go  to  class-meeting,  then.'  I  thought,"  said 
he,  "  it  is  of  no  use  to  try  to  save  time  by  the 
neglect  of  Christian  duties,  so  I  left  all  and 
hastened  to  class-meeting." 

Experience  and  observation  both  are  wit- 
nesses that  his  was  a  wise  and  safe  conclusion, 
as  illustrated  in 

ANOTHER    SINGULAR   INCIDENT. 

In  a  certain  pastoral  charge,  when  giving  out 
for  class-meeting  in  haying  time,  I  related  to 
the  people  somewhat  of  the  experience  of  my 
good  class-leader  just  referred  to,  and  suggest- 
ed, if  the  day  should  be  a  good  one  for  haying, 
some  of  my  brethren  might  be  tempted  to  stay 
away,  and  cautioned  them  against  yielding  to 
the  temptation,  but  to  plan  their  work  so  as  to 
"go  to  class-meeting,"  otherwise  something 
might  turn  up  to  hinder  them  as  much  as  the 
time  it  would  require  to  attend  it. 

My  good  Brother  P.  heard  the  caution  with 
interest,  but  probably  without  confidence  in  my 
inferences  drawn  from  it.  The  day  came — a 
bright  day  for  hay-makers.  My  good  Brother 
P.  and  hired  man  were  in  the  field,  near  the 


Class-Meetings.  37 

hour  of  the  appointed  meeting,  doubtless  think- 
ing of  class-meeting  which  they  concluded  not 
to  attend,  when  by  a  strange  mishap  the  usually 
good  driver  drove  his  team  too  near  a  stump 
and  broke  the  cart-tongue.  My  good  Brother  P. 
hearing  the  noise  of  breaking  exclaimed,  "  '  Well, 
go  to  class-meeting,  then  !'  There,"  said  he  in 
an  instant  more,  "don't  tell  Brother  Culver  of  it 
for  any  thing!"  The  hired  man,  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  class,  thinking  it  a  little  too  good  to, 
keep,  took  pleasure  in  telling  of  it.  Now,  we 
do  not  say  these  occurrences  came  to  pass  be- 
cause of  the  intention  to  save  time  by  neglect 
of  duties ;  but  we  do  believe  that,  as  a  rule, 
such  efforts  for  the  world,  to  the  neglect  of  plain 
and  positive  religious  duties,  will  bring  upon 
him  who  attempts  them,  in  one  way  or  another, 
great  loss  in  a  worldly  sense. 

Class-meetings,  now  in- their  one  hundred  and 
sixth  year  in  America  and  their  one  hundred  and 
forty-third  in  England,  may  have  lost  some  of 
their  former  valuable  characteristics,  but  they 
have  outlived  all  opposition  ;  and,  retaining  all 
the  more  essential  qualities  of  the  early  past, 
and  adding  thereto  what  experience  and  ob- 
servation seem  to  demand  by  the  changed 
circumstances  of  the  times,  they  possess  to-day 
more  than  their  youthful  vigor  and  success,  in 


38     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

some  respects  at  least.  They  have  better  ac- 
commodations in  class-rooms  or  other  commo- 
dious places,  and  larger  attendance.  None  now 
molest  their  devotions.  The  demand  for  closed 
doors,  if  ever  necessary,  is  now  among  the 
things  of  the  past.  Class-meetings  will  con- 
tinue to  be,  as  they  ever  have  been,  among  the 
most  efficient  means  of  grace  for  the  building 
up  of  believers  and  the  salvation  of  sinners, 
through  the  merits  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
to  whom  be  the  glory  now  and  forever. 

Some  other  denominations  of  evangelical 
Christians,  seeing  their  value,  not  only  cease 
their  opposition,  but,  so  far  as  their  ecclesias- 
tical organisms  will  allow,  have  adopted  them 
in  name*  or,  under  another  name,  have  adopted 
their  main  characteristics. 

May  class-meetings,  by  whatsoever  name 
they  may  be  called,  and  by  whomsoever  held, 
become  more  and  more  the  means  of  saving 
souls,  and  God  be  glorified ! 

*  Class-meetings  are  known  to  be  held  in  some  of  our 
Freewill  Baptist  Churches. 


Circuits  Then  and  Stations  Now.          39 


CHAPTER  III. 

Circuits,  Stations,  and  Salaries  Then  and 
Now. 


CIRCUITS  THEN  AND  STATIONS  NOW. 

tHE  circuit  system  was  a  favorite  one  with 
Methodism  from  its  origin.  For  many  years 
these  circuits  were  very  large,  extending 
over  many  towns,  and  sometimes  as  large  as  a 
modern  presiding  elder's  district.  Forty  years 
ago  they  were  much  reduced  in  size,  especially 
in  New  England,  embracing  only  some  three 
or  four  towns,  with  only  some  four,  five,  or  six 
Sabbath  preaching-places,  as  convenience  or 
necessity  required.  To  each  of  these  fields  of 
labor  there  were  usually  appointed  a  preacher 
in  charge  and  one  or  two  colleagues,  who  were 
generally  juniors  in  years  and  in  experience, 
all  of  whom  usually  went  with  cheerfulness  to 
their  work,  under  the  care  and  guidance  of 
Christ,  "  the  Chief  Shepherd,"  to  look  after  the 
flock,  which  was  scattered  along  the  valleys 


40     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

and  among  the  mountains  of  their  widely-ex- 
tended circuits. 

The  amount  of  labor  required  was,  of  course, 
very  great.  No  less  than  two  hundred  sermons 
must  be  preached  during  the  year,  nor  less 
than  this  number  of  class  and  prayer-meetings 
attended  during  the  time ;  and  no  less  than  a 
thousand  family  visits  made,  requiring  as  many 
as  two  thousand  miles'  travel  in  a  year.  These 
reminiscences  of  forty  years  ago  I  take  from 
recorded  facts,  kept  by  myself,  of  my  own  labors 
in  those  early  times. 

The  mode  of  traveling,  especially  by  the  junior 
preachers,  was  on  horseback,  with  saddle-bags  for 
carrying  our  reading-books  and  needed  change 
of  apparel,  and  on  our  longer  routes,  frequently 
with  our  umbrellas  and  rolled-up  overcoats  strap- 
ped to  our  saddles. 

Some  of  us  were  often  taken,  when  among 
strangers,  to  be  doctors,  (not  D. D's  but  M.  D.'s 
— doctors  of  divinity  were  scarce  in  those  days,) 
as  our  mode  of  conveyance  and  saddle-bags 
were,  in  outside  appearance,  not  dissimilar  to 
theirs.  Such  mistakes,  though  innocently 
made  and  generally  harmless,  were  never- 
theless occasionally  quite  troublesome.  The 
trouble  of  being  hailed  as  doctors,  to  inquire 
after  sick  folks,  was  small  compared  with  some 


Circuits  Then  and  Stations  Now.         41 

others.  I  will  illustrate  my  meaning  by  relating 
an  incident  in  my  own  early  history  in  the 
ministry. 

On  a  certain  circuit,  not  many  miles  from  old 
"  Dartmouth  Medical  College,"  I  chanced  to 
put  up  for  the  night  at  the  house  of  one  of  my 
parishioners,  where,  being  a  new-comer  on  the 
circuit,  I  was  mostly  a  stranger  in  his  neigh- 
borhood. Learning  that  there  was  to  be  a 
funeral  of  a  young  lady  that  forenoon,  and  as  I 
was  to  pass  along  that  way,  I  concluded  to  loiter 
a  little  in  order  to  attend  it.  On  arriving  at 
the  house  where  death  had  entered  .1  learned 
that  I  was  too  early  for  the  funeral,  so  I  passed 
on  to  another  part  of  my  circuit,  not  supposing 
I  had  done  any  harm. 

A  few  days  after  I  was  surprised  to  learn 
that  they  had  taken  me  to  be  a  young  doctor, 
or  a  "  Hanoverian  Medic,"  out  on  an  excursion 
for  robbing  grave-yards  of  their  sacred  dead  to 
take  to  their  dissecting-rooms;  and  lest  that 
new  grave  should  be  disturbed,  it  had  been 
vigilantly  watched  by  the  troubled  neighbors 
for  several  nights  in  succession  after  the  burial, 
who,  doubtless,  pronounced  their  solemn  anath- 
emas against  any  young  doctor  or  despicable 
Hanover  "  Medic  "  who  should  be  mean  enough 
to  want  to  rob  a  grave-yard  of  its  sacred  dead  ! 


42     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

How  they  felt  when  they  learned  the  facts  I 
cannot  state,  but  the  reader  can  guess. 

This  horseback  mode  of  travel,  nevertheless, 
was  the  best  adapted  to  all  the  "  highways " 
and  "  byways  "  which  led  to  the  homes  of  our 
people  who  lived  in  the  back  towns  and  rural 
districts  of  our  circuits..  The  married  preach- 
ers, as  now,  lived  in  parsonages,  or  more  gen- 
erally, like  Paul,  in  "their  own  hired  houses," 
but  were  necessarily  absent  on  their  large  cir- 
cuits most  of  their  time.  A  single  man  in  those 
days,  with  rare  exceptions,  had  "  no  certain  abid- 
ing-place.;" a  regular  boarding-place  for  him  was 
out  of  the  question.  He  went  "  from  house  to 
house,"  in  the  different  parts  of  his  work,  sel- 
dom staying  two  nights  in  succession  in  the 
same  house. 

This  was  my  experience  for  nearly  the  first 
four  years  of  my  ministry.  My  temporary  stop- 
ping-places, not  to  say  homes,  were  so  arranged 
in  the  different  parts  of  my  circuit  as  to  bring 
me  on  Saturday  night  into  the  immediate  region 
of  my  Sabbath  meeting,  where  I  kept  my  needed 
change  of  raiment  for  the  Sabbath.  These  places 
of  entertainment  were  freely  opened  to  me,  where 
I  spent  many  happy  hours. 

Should  the  following  reminiscences  prove  dis- 
tasteful to  the  reader,  I  hope  he  will  pardon  me 


Circuits  Then  and  Stations  Now.         43 

for  their  introduction  here.  They  give  some 
of  the  unpleasant  phases  of  itinerant  life  forty 
years  ago. 

FREE  ENTERTAINMENT,  BUT  DISAGREEABLE  FARE. 

Having  a  lecture  appointment  among  entire 
strangers  some  fifteen  miles  away,  in  an  ob- 
scure town  among  the  mountains,  I  went  and 
preached.  When  the  meeting  was  through,  a 
man  some  fifty  years  old,  I  -should  judge,  came 
to  me  and  kindly  invited  me  to  his  house  for 
entertainment  for  the  night.  I  gladly  accepted 
the  invitation,  and  went  in  company  with  him 
to  his  home.  On  the  way  he  pointed  out  to  me 
various  objects  of  interest  to  himself,  mostly 
such  as  pertained  to  his  own  property,  saying, 
"  This  is  my  sawmill ;"  "  This  is  my  farm  ;"  and 
at  length,  "  This  is  my  house,"  intending,  as  I 
thought,  to  impress  me  favorably  with  reference 
to  his  financial  circumstances. 

The  house  was  a  little  old  log  hut,  near  which 
were  one  or  two  large  barns,  and  all  the  way 
between  the  buildings  was  the  barn-yard,  and  a 
large  stock  of  cattle,  equally  in  the  door-yard  as 
in  the  barn-yard,  and  a  running  brook  passing 
through,  equally  accommodating  the  occupants 
of  the  house  and  barn  with  its  richly-colored 
waters. 


44     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

It  being  in  the  month  of  April,  "  the.  sight  of 
my  eyes  had  an  effect  on  my  heart"  not  very 
cheering.  "  Here,"  said  the  good  man  of  the 
house,  "  this  is  where  I  live  ;  walk  in,  and  we 
will  take  care  of  your  horse."  While  yet  in  the 
yard  I  saw  a  tall,  awkward,  and  foolish-appear- 
ing youth  come  out  of  the  house  with  a  pail  in 
his  hand,  (it  looked  like  a  slop-pail,}  who  rushed 
to  the  brook  and  dipped  up  a  pailful  of  the  pol- 
luted water.  I  entered  the  house,  and  soon  saw 
the  tea-  kettle  filled  with  it  for  tea,  and  put  over 
the  fire  in  the  open  fire-place  to  heat.  Not  being 
anxious  for  tea  just  then,  I  excused  myself  as 
best  I  could,  and  asked  for  bread  and  milk. 
The  request  was  reluctantly  granted. 

In  due  time  there  was  brought  to  my  lap  an 
old  three-pint  tin  dish,  which  contained  a  rusty 
iron  spoon  and  a  full  supply  of  clammy  brown 
bread  and  milk,  which  milk  was  fresh  from  the 
untidy  milk  pail.  Attempting  to  eat,  my  appe- 
tite utterly  failed  me.  I  just  then  did  not  feel 
to  relish  bread  and  milk.  I  again  excused  my- 
self from  eating  in  the  best  way  I  knew  how, 
and  set  up  the  dish.  At  length  bedtime  came. 
I  was  assigned  to  the  bed  in  the  only  room 
down  stairs,  that  same  old  kitchen.  The  family 
— not  a  small  one — retired  somewhere,  to  the 
chamber  or  barn,  or  somewhere  else  ;  at  any 


Cimtits  Then  and  Stations  Now.          45 

rate  all  disappeared  for  the  night  except  one 
son,  who  was  to  be  my  bed-fellow.  The  bed 
clothing  was  uncleanly,  ragged,  and  of  unpleas- 
ant flavor.  I  sighed,  prayed,  dozed,  and  longed 
for  day-dawn.  Morning  came.  I  was  an  early 
riser  for  once,  at  least.  The  family  appearing 
again,  the  breakfast  was  fast  being  prepared, 
when  I  noticed  the  tea-kettle  was  filled  with 
water  from  the  same  pail  as  the  night  before, 
and  the  potatoes  put  over  the  fire  to  boil  with 
water  from  the  same  source.  Two  johnny-cakes 
on  wooden  plates  were  baking  before  the  fire. 
Thus  progressing  was  the  breakfast  when  the 
foolish  son,  returning  from  the  aforesaid  yard, 
having  stepped  where  he  ought  not,  sat  down 
on  the  hearthstone  a  little  too  near  the  baking 
johnny-cakes. 

At  the  breakfast-table  my  usually  good  appe- 
tite somehow  failed  me.  The  tea  I  could  not 
drink,  the  potatoes  I  could  not  eat,  the  johnny- 
cakes  I  could  not  touch.  I  excused  myself 
from  eating  again  as  best  I  could.  After  pray- 
ers I  bade  them  good-bye,  and  after  riding  some 
ten  miles  I  called  at  a  good  farm-house,  where 
resided  one  of  our  best  Methodist  families.  On 
reporting  where  I  was  from,  and  where  I  stayed 
the  night  before,  the  good  woman,  knowing  the 
family,  immediately  said,  "  I  think  then  by  this 


46    Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

time  that  you  are  hungry,"  and  without  further 
ceremony  provided  me  with  food,  which  I  thank- 
fully received  and  was  satisfied. 

The  next  year  I  chanced  to  relate  my  ad- 
venture to  my  senior  preacher,  and  he  followed 
it  with  this  story  of  his  own  experience : 
"  A  few  years  ago,"  said  he,  "  I  stayed  in  that 
same  house,  slept  in  th'at  same  room,  and,  I 
presume,  in  that  same  bed.  Before  retiring  that 
same  man  said  to  me,  '  We  have  fieas  here.  I 
do  not  know  as  you  are  acquainted  with  such 
annoyances.  They  may  trouble  you.  They 
used  to  trouble  me  once,  but  I  have  got  used  to 
them,  and  learned  how  to  get  along  with  them 
better  than  I  once  did.  I  think  of  Daniel  in 
the  lions  den,  and  pray  to  the  God  of  Daniel  to 
give  me  grace  to  endure  their  bite,  and  now  get 
along  quite  comfortably  with  them.' " 

My  good  itinerant  brother  continued  his  story 
by  saying,  "  I  soon  had  occasion  to  think  of '  the 
God  of  Daniel,'  but  endured  the  night  as  best 
I  could.  I  arose  in  the  morning  at  day-dawn, 
shook  the  fleas  from  my  clothes  as  well  as  I 
could  in  the  open  air,  caught  my  horse,  and 
took  my  departure  probably  long  before  the 
family  were  up,  glad  to  get  off  with  so  near 
a  whole  skin  as  I  did,  and  left  them  to  wonder 
what  had  become  of  me." 


Circuits  Then  and  Stations  Now.         47 

Such  were  some  of  the  annoyances  of  some 
of  our  stopping-places  under  the  old  circuit  sys- 
tem ;  but  we  had  far  more  agreeables  to  praise 
God  for  than  disagreeables  to  sigh  over,  and 
even  these  were  often  turned  to  a  good  account, 
for  we  were  the  more  thankful  for  the  good  en- 
joyed, and  sought  for  more  grace  to  endure  the 
occasional  unpleasant  circumstances  we  en- 
countered. 

The  old  circuit  system  has  gradually  passed 
away,  having  yielded  to  the  modern  demand  for 
stations.  Methodism  has  left  the  backgrounds 
to  a  great  extent  and  moved  into  the  centers  of 
population  and  influence.  The  pastoral  charges, 
even  their  outer  limits,  are  now  within  a  few 
miles,  as  a  general  thing,  of  the  pastor's  home, 
saving  him  the  trouble  and  expense  of  keeping 
a  horse  and  carriage  to  reach  the  farthest  mem- 
bers of  his  congregations.  He  can.  with  better 
economy,  hire,  as  occasion  may  require,  or  walk 
to  the  homes  of  most  of  his  parishioners. 

Thus  the  pleasant  parsonage  and  happy  home 
of  the  preacher  can  be  more  constantly  enjoyed. 
The  time  and  chances  for  pulpit  preparation  are 
hereby  greatly  enhanced,  and  not  .more  than 
half  as  many  sermons  have  to  be  preached  as 
on  the  old  circuit  plan  ;  but,  notwithstanding 
this,  pastoral  labors,  social  meetings,  and  many 


48     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

Church  benevolent  enterprises,  and  the  thou- 
sand and  one  various  stirring  events  of  the  day, 
in  which  he  ought  and  must  take  part,  will  keep 
his  utmost  powers  upon  their  full  stretch,  in- 
creasing the  anxieties,  cares,  and  labors  of  the 
preacher  of  to-day  even  above  those  of  forty 
years  ago. 

There  are  some  things  in  the  change  from 
the  old  circuit  plan  and  the  adoption  of  the 
modern  stationing  system  which  are  to  be  de- 
plored. One  thing  in  particular  deserves  spe- 
cially to  be  named.  The  feeble  societies  of  the 
more  rural  towns,  for  want  of  proper  pastoral 
care,  are  constantly  growing  weaker,  and  how 
to  provide  for  them  is  now  an  important  prac- 
tical question. 

The  friends  of  the  cause  in  those  places  are 
not  able  to  support  constant  preaching.  The 
Missionary  Society  has  not  the  funds  to  spare 
for  all  such  calls,  and  yet  the  people  of  these 
places  need  the  means  of  grace. 

The  question  still  presses  itself  upon  thought- 
ful minds,  What  shall  be  done  for  them  ?  Some 
of  our  wisest  and  most  practical  men  are  of  the 
opinion  that  the  only  remedy  for  these  weak 
portions  of  our  Zion  is  the  re-adoption  of  the  old 
circuit  plan -for  them,  while  we  retain  for  most 
of  our  work  the  present  stationing  system. 


Circuits  Then  and  Stations  Now.         49 

"  Wisdom  is  profitable  to  direct."  May  God 
give  the  needed  wisdom  to  his  Church,  that  she 
may  devise  the  plan  and  execute  the  work  which 
will  produce  the  greatest  good  to  the  greatest 
number ! 

We  will  next  compare  our  preachers' 

SALARIES   THEN   AND    NOW. 

The  disciplinary  claim  for  a  single  man  forty 
years  ago  was  $100  and  his  traveling  expenses. 
For  a  married  man,  for  self  and  wife,  $200  and 
traveling  expenses,  then  understood  to  mean 
for  moving  bills  and  horse-shoeing.  For  chil- 
dren under  fourteen  years  of  age  it  was  $16 
each,  and  for  minors  over  fourteen  years,  $24. 
Seldom  was  this  small  claim  received. 

It  is  presumed  that  in  New  England  not  more 
than  one  half  of  this  amount  on  an  average  was 
paid  them. 

My  first  appointment  was  under  the  presiding 
elder  for  three  months,  to  fill  out  the  confer- 
ence year,  where  the  junior  preacher's  health 
had  failed.  The  preacher  in  charge  was  one  of 
the  most  popular  preachers  in  the  conference, 
and  the  circuit  a  full  average  one  for  support. 

The  time  of  service,  the  last  quarter  in  the 
year,  being  ended,  a  disciplinary  division  of  re- 
ceipts gave  me  the  sum  of  $13,  which  I  most 


50     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

gladly  accepted,  it  being  the  first  money  I  ever 
received  for  preaching. 

In  1833,  the  next  year,  I  joined  the  New 
Hampshire  Conference,  and  was  appointed  to 
the  circuit  in  the  bounds  of  which  I  had  spent 
all  my  early  days.  This  was  regarded  as  an 
average  one  for  support.  In  this  I  received  my 
disciplinary  proportion  paid  in,  and  it  amounted 
to  $53  for  one  year's  service. 

The  next  year,  on  a  laborious  circuit,  with  a 
sickly  preacher  in  charge,  which  added  much  to 
my  labors,  I  also  shared  my  proportion  with  him, 
which  amounted,  all  told,  to  $47. 

I  am  confident  that  these  receipts  are  equal, 
with  rare  exceptions,  to  the  average  amounts  of 
other  preachers,  who  were  similarly  stationed 
in  those  days.  A  small  support,  it  is  true,  not 
adequate  to  meet  our  real  needs  ;  but  we  had 
souls  for  our  hire,  and,  thus  encouraged,  were 
content  to  wait  for  better  days.  We  seldom 
heard  the  subject  of  small  salaries  alluded 
to  by  the  preachers,  or  any  complaint  of  hard 
fare. 

Now,  'after  forty  years,  the  Church,  having 
greatly  increased  in  numbers  and  wealth,  and 
having  been  better  instructed  in  the  duty  of 
supporting  the  Gospel  ministry,  has  a  better 
record. 


Circuits  Then  and  Stations  Now.         5 1 

The  old  disciplinary  allowance  of  salaries, 
which  long  since  became  obsolete,  is  expunged 
from  the  Discipline.  That  station  is  now  con- 
sidered very  poor  or  exceedingly  penurious 
which  asks  for  and  receives  a  preacher  without 
paying  him  a  fair  salary. 

Take,  as  an  illustration,  the  receipts  of  sala- 
ries for  1872  in  the  New  Hampshire  Conference, 
scarce  an  average  conference  for  supporting 
their  pastors.  The  whole  number  of  effective 
ministers  was  ninety-one.  Of  these  twenty- 
seven  received  salaries  ranging  from  $1,000  to 
$2,000,  and  twenty-one  salaries'  ranging  from 
$700  to  $1,000  ;  while  thirty-two  acknowledged 
receipts  ranging  from  $500  to  $700,  leaving 
only  eight  who  received  from  $400  to  $500,  and 
only  one  less  than  $400.  Some  of  the  last- 
named  sums  were  paid  for  only  partial  pastoral 
services  to  feeble  men,  or  those  living  out  of  the 
bounds  of  their  charges,  who  in  part  depended 
on  other  means  of  support. 

These  figures  may  appear  very  small  in  the 
estimation  of  some,  but  are  a  great  advance  on 
receipts  of  earlier  days.  That  preacher  must  be 
a  poor,  economist  who  cannot  live,  extraordina- 
ries  excepted,  on  salaries  now  generally  re- 
ceived. If  he  needs  better  pay  he  should  make 
his  wants  known,  and  show  by  faithful  labors 


52     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

that  he  deserves  it,  and  doubtless  it  will  be 
forthcoming. 

It  may  appear  surprising  to  some  of  our 
youthful  readers  that  preachers  were  not  better 
supported  in  those  earlier  days  ;  but  those  who 
are  familiar  with  the  financial  circumstances 
of  our  people  in  those  times,  and  their  denom- 
inational and  social  surroundings,  can  see  quite 
clearly  the  cause. 

While  some  of  our  members  and  supporters 
were  possessed  of  moderate  wealth,  and  paid 
liberally  toward  supporting  the  Gospel,  there 
were  others  who  had  never  been  properly  edu- 
cated to  do  for  this  cause  "as  God  had  pros- 
pered them." 

But  most  of  our  people  were  poor,  and  those 
who  contributed  liberally  according  to  their 
means  could  do  but  little  ;  nevertheless  it  must 
be  confessed  that  there  were  some  men  of  prop- 
erty then,  as  now,  who  were  so  penurious  that 
they  did  little  or  nothing  financially  to  aid  the 
cause  of  God. 

The  following  will  illustrate  the  liberal  ideas 
and  generous  impulses  of  some  men  who  lived 
then  and  a  few  others  who  live  now. 

Having  nearly  completed  my  term  of  service 
on  a  certain  station  near  forty  years  ago,  I  made 
my  final  call,  as  pastor,  on  a  family  not  mem- 


Circuits  Then  and  Stations  Now.         53 

bers  of  my  Church,  but  of  my  congregation. 
They  were  comparatively  wealthy.  I  had  passed 
some  rods  from  the  house  when  the  owner  and 
occupant  of  the  premises,  who  was  at  work  by 
the  roadside,  called  to  me  to  know  how  I  was 
coming  out  on  support,  and  said  as  he  had  paid 
nothing  he  wanted  to  do  something,  and  as  he 
must  hasten  his  work  along,  asked  me  to  go 
back  to  tell  his  wife  to  hand  me  a  ninepence  to- 
ward my  salary.  Not  feeling  like  returning  for 
that  purpose,  I  went  on  my  way  thinking,  "What 
ninefenny  men  some  mortals  are  ! " 

A  GOOD  PRACTICAL  LESSON  FROM  DEAR-BOUGHT 
EXPERIENCE. 

I  will  give  an  early  incident  of  being  on  a 
journey  minus  money  in  my  purse,  a  thing  to 
which  I  was  sometimes  subjected,  with  the 
alternative  of  staying  at  home. 

I  had  occasion  to  travel  some  thirty  miles 
away,  and  before  returning  had  been  obliged  to 
empty  my  pockets  of  money  for  the  purchase 
of  some  needed  books.  On  my  way  back  I 
planned  to  stop  over  night,  some  fifteen  or 
twenty  miles  from  my  parish,  with  a  Methodist 
preacher,  (all  our  preachers  kept  open  doors  for 
each  other  in  those  days,)  where  I  anticipated  a 
hearty  welcome  and  a  good  visit.  I  reached 


54     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

the  place  about  dark,  tired  and  hungry  ;  but,  to 
my  great  discomfiture,  the  doors  were  closed 
and  the  family  away.  The  evenings  were  short, 
and  I,  among  strangers,  without  supper,  money, 
or  lodgings,  must  do  quickly  something  with 
myself  for  the  night.  What  that  something 
should  be  I  at  first  could  not  tell ;  but  I  soon 
thought  of  a  well-to-do,  influential  class-leader, 
whom  I  had  a  few  times  met,  and  who  was  well 
spoken  of  by  those  who  knew  him.  I  went  to 
his  door  and  rang  the  bell,  when  the  following 
conversation  occurred  while  I  was  outside  and 
he  still  in  bed: 

"Who  is  there?" 

I  gave  my  name. 

"  What  do  you  want  ? " 

"  I  want  to  put  up  with  you  for  the  night." 

"  Haven't  got  any  horse-keeping." 

"  I  can  go  to  the  stable  with  my  horse  if  you 
can  keep  me" 

To  this  he  reluctantly,  consented. 

I  went  to  the  stable  with  my  horse,  returned 
and  rang  the  bell  again.  "  Mine  host "  respond- 
ed to  the  call  by  rising  from  bed  and  lighting 
a  lamp.  He  came  to  the  door  without  dressing 
himself,  and  escorted  me  quite  unceremoniously 
to  my  lodging-room,  asking  me  no  questions 
about  health  or  supper  or  any  thing  else. 


Circuits  Then  and  Stations  Now.         5  5 

Every  circumstance  combined  to  make  me 
wakeful,  thoughtful,  and  uneasy ;  among  these 
were  no  welcome,  no  supper,  (a  small  item  in  the 
programme,)  no  money,  and,  withal,  no  sleep. 
How  shall  I  pay  my  horse-keeping  bill  ?  was 
the  plague  of  my  thoughts.  Morning  coming, 
I  in  due  time  presented  my  jaded  self  to  the 
family. 

The  good  class-leader  had  by  this  time 
come  to  himself  enough  to  offer  as  good  an 
apology  as  he  could  for  his  treatment  of  the 
previous  evening,  namely,  "  He  had  gone  to 
bed,  and  was  tired  and  sleepy"  I  accepted 
his  apology  very  cheerfully,  and  was  kindly 
treated. 

It  was  rather  a  strait  place  for  me  to  tell 
him  I  was  out  of  money,  and  should  be 
obliged  to  ask  him  to  lend  me  some  to  pay 
for  horse-keeping.  But  I  did  it,  arid  he  readily 
complied. 

I  thanked  them  for  their  hospitality,  bade 
them  good-bye,  paid  -my  bill  at  the  stable,  and 
went  on  my  way  rejoicing  that  I  fared  so  much 
better  than  my  Master,  "  who  had  not  where  to 
lay  his  head." 

In  a  few  weeks  I  saw  "  mine  host "  again,  and 
offered  him  the  amount  I  borrowed,  but  he  de- 
cidedly declined  it.  I. learned  a  good  practical 


56     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

lesson  from  this  somewhat  "dear-bought"  ex- 
perience, namely,  Either  to  stay  at  home,  or  never 
to  start  on  another  journey  without  money  enough 
in  my  pocket  to  pay  for  "supper"  and  "horse- 
keeping" 


Quarterly  Meetings.  57 


CHAPTER  IV. 
Quarterly  Meetings  Then  and  Now. 

S  our  circuits  in  those  days  embraced 
several  towns,  and  had  the  services  of 
two  or  more  preachers,  our  presiding 
elders'  districts,  though  large  in  territory,  in- 
cluded within  their  bounds  only  about  one 
quarterly  meeting  for  each  Sabbath  of  the 
quarter.  Extraordinaries  excepted,  the  presid- 
ing elder  therefore  attended  four  quarterly 
meetings  for  each  pastoral  charge  during  the 
conference  year.  These  meetings  were  gen- 
erally seasons  of  special  interest.  The  breth- 
ren and  sisters  of  the  Church  came  in  from  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  circuit  on  Saturday  P.M., 
the  distant  ones  to  tarry  through  the  meeting. 
After  the  presiding  elder  had  preached  a  good 
practical  sermon  the  preacher  in  charge  pro- 
ceeded to  invite  those  desiring  entertainment, 
and  those  who  would  open  their  doors  to  enter- 
tain, to  tarry  to  make  the  necessary  distribution. 
Usually  a  goodly  number  of  both  kinds  readily 
reported  themselves. 


5  8     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

This  service  ended,  then  came  the  quarterly 
conference,  with  all  its  important  business  mat- 
ters, to  take  the  time  and  attention  of  the  official 
members  for  some  time  longer,  the  records  of 
which  were  then,  as  now,  taken  down  by  a  secre- 
tary appointed  at  the  time  for  the  purpose,  who 
afterward  delivered  them  over  to  the  recording 
stewards  for  record  ;  but  their  books,  in  too 
many  instances,  give  but  a  poor  showing  of  the 
doings  of  said  conferences,  a  failure  greatly  to 
be  regretted  by  all  interested  in  the  important 
Methodistic  history  of  those  earlier  times. 

The  Saturday  evening  prayer-meetings  were 
usually  held  in  different  neighborhoods,  and,  with 
the  additional  help  from  abroad,  were  seasons 
of  great  interest.  The  Sabbath  morning  love- 
feast,  especially,  was  a  time  of  great  "  refresh- 
ing from  the  presence  of  the  Lord." 

Special  attention  was  paid  to  the  time  of 
opening  and  closing  the  doors  according  to 
previous  notice,  and  a  preacher  during  the  time 
was  stationed  at  the  door  to  guard  it  from  in- 
truders. "  Strangers,"  that  is,  those  not  mem- 
bers, were  not  permitted  to  attend  more  than 
"  twice  or  thrice,  unless  they  became  members." 
Also,  those  who  adorned  their  person  with  gold 
or  other  gay  ornaments  were  prohibited,  by  the 
rules  of  the  Church,  from  entering. 


Quarterly  Meetings.  59 

Love-feast  ending,  one  of  the  circuit-preach- 
ers conducted  the  public  exercises  and  preached 
the  morning  sermon.  The  afternoon  sermon, 
extraordinaries  excepted,  was  preached  by  the 
presiding  elder.  Then  followed  the  sacrament 
of  the  Lord's  Supper,  a  season  of  special  profit, 
as  the  members  from  different  parts  of  the 
charge  once  more  communed  together  at  the 
table  of  their  common  Lord  and  Master.  This 
was  followed  by  an  appropriate  exhortation  to 
faithfulness  by  the  presiding  elder,  and  some- 
times by  a  season  of  prayer  for  souls  seeking 
salvation,  who  had  come  by  invitation  to  the 
altar,  and  not  unfrequently  by  the  testimonies 
of  victory  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  from  those 
who  thus  came.  Such  was  an  "old-fashioned 
quarterly  meeting"  of  forty  or  more  years  ago. 

Reference  has  been  made  to  the  custom  of 
guarding  the  love-feast  door.  This  old  dis- 
ciplinary rule,  in  some  places,  had  then  lost 
some  of  its  practical  significance,  but  was  not 
wholly  obsolete  in  many  other  parts  of  our 
Church. 

To  that  very  important  post  of  ministerial 
duty  I  was  sometimes  put  in  trust.  On  one 
occasion,  I  particularly  remember,  I  criticised 
sharply  a  stranger  several  years  my  senior  who 
had  presented  himself  for  admission,  whom  I  at 


60     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

length  found  to  be  a  Methodist  preacher.  His 
apology  for  so  long  keeping  dark,  he  said,  "was 
to  test  the  fidelity  of  the  young  preacher  in 
charge  of  the  door."  In  pleasant  terms  he  has 
often  since  referred  me  to  this  our  first  inter- 
view. 

What  changes  in  regard  to  these  meetings  in 
the  space  of  the  past  forty  years !  Our  work 
now  being  cut  up  into  stations,  and  our  New 
England  districts  embracing  three  or  four  times 
the  number  of  the  Sabbaths  in  a  quarter,  our 
presiding  elders  are  obliged  to  divide  the  work 
of  their  Sabbaths  between  two  or  more  access- 
ible appointments,  and  at  this  rapid  rate  be 
present  on  the  Sabbath  only  some  twice  in  the 
year.  The  Saturday  afternoon  sermon  is  now 
seldom  preached.  The  Saturday  evening 
prayer-meeting  is  only  the  us.ua!  one.  The 
"  love-feast,"  if  held  at  all,  is  not  enlivened  by 
testimonies  or  persons  from  abroad,  though 
often  a  season  of  good  religious  interest,  but 
far  from  the  "  old-style  "  in  its  testimony  and 
power. 

For  these  changes,  as  our  work  is  now  ar- 
ranged into  stations  and  districts,  there  is  no 
apparent  remedy.  We  must  take  matters  as 
they  are,  and  as  present  circumstances  seem  to 
necessitate. 


Quarterly  Meetings.  61 

We  are  not  sure  but  these  changes  from 
"old-fashioned  quarterly  meetings,"  in  which 
we  reluctantly  lose  some  valuable  usages,  are 
more  than  compensated  by  the  gain  we  make 
in  more  constant  means  of  grace,  more  con- 
stant watch-care  of  pastors,  and  by  the  average 
value  of  our  more  efficient  and  frequent  social 
meetings. 

The  custom  of  guarding  the  love-feast  door, 
if  ever  a  necessity,  is  now  among  the  things 
the  need  of  which  has  passed  away. 

We  are  seldom  now  imposed  upon  by  ill- 
disposed  persons  in  attendance.  Few  except 
our  own  people  now  attend  our  "love-feasts," 
and  when  they  do  it  is  with  good  intent.  These 
meetings,  with  less  guarded  doors  and  less  at- 
tendance from  abroad,  continue  to  be  rich 
"  feasts  of  love "  to  all  such  as  truly  "  hunger 
and  thirst  after  righteousness." 

Though  customs  change  in  respect  to  our 
quarterly  meetings  and  "  love-feasts,"  may  all 
the  real  essentials  of  our  Church  customs  and 
power  never  become  obsolete  or  lose  their  pow- 
erful charms ! 


62     M-ethodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 


CHAPTER  V. 
Methodistic  Customs  and  Characteristics. 

STYLE  OF  DRESS  THEN  AND  NOW. 

tHE  style  of  dress  with  the  male  lay-mem- 
bership of  our  Church  was  not  essentially 
different  from  that  of  other  men  similarly 
situated  in  social  life.  But  there  was  a  marked 
difference  in  the  style  of  our  ministers'  apparel. 
With  rare  exceptions,  they  dressed  their  necks 
with  the  white  handkerchief,  minus  the  collar, 
then  the  only  and  almost  sure  badge  of  a  Meth- 
odist minister.  The  custom  went  so  far  that 
when  a  young  man  obtained  license  to  exhort, 
the  next  thing  expected  was  to  see  him  in  this 
style  of  neck-dress. 

The  departure  from  this  old  custom  by  any 
of  our  preachers,  old  or  young,  was  regarded  as 
an  unfortunate  departure  from  the  "  ancient 
landmarks."  Even  a  young  minister  would  feel 
not  a  little  afflicted  to  learn  that  any  brother 
minister  had  exchanged  this  peculiar  badge  for 
the  more  common  style  of  neck-dress.  But 
innovations  on  old  customs,  when  once  com- 


Customs  and  Characteristics,  63 

menced,  often  have  a  wide  and  rapid  spread. 
It  was  so  with  this. 

I  have  now  in  my  mind  the  expressions  of 
sadness  uttered  to  me  some  thirty-five  years 
ago,  when  I  first  made  this  change.  A  preacher 
of  my  age  seriously  lectured  me  for  my  worldly 
conformity  and  departure  from  old  Methodistic 
usage.  But  the  grief  of  my  good  brother  was 
soon  assuaged.  In  less  than  twelve  months  he 
followed  what  he  so  recently  had  so  seriously 
felt  to  be  a  bad  example.  Thus  one  after  an- 
other departed  from  this  old  custom,  until  there 
can  now  scarcely  be  one  found,  from  senior 
bishop  to  exhorter,  in  all  our  borders,  who 
clings  to  this  once  popular  usage,  and  the 
change  does  not  seem  to  produce  any  disas- 
trous results. 

There  were  once  other  characteristics  in 
the  dress  of  our  ministers,  such  as  the  wide- 
brimmed  hat  and  round-breasted  coat  and 
vest,  but  they  were  gradually  going  out  of  use 
forty  years  ago.  Though  worn  by  some,  they 
were  not  strenuously  insisted  upon  as  a  rule 
for  others.  Now  they  are  seldom  worn — 
never  by  any  except  a  few  aged  ministers  who 
still  linger  among  us  as  reporters  of  the  long 
gone-by. 

The  sisters  of  the  Church  gave  good  heed 


64    Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

to  our  old  Methodistic  rules  on  dress.  Setting 
out  in  the  divine  life  as  Bible  Christians,  they 
could  not  overlook  the  divine  prohibition  of  all 
gaudiness  and  extravagance,  and  adopted  a 
plain,  economical  habit,  traces  of  which  are  still 
seen  in  our  ranks.  They  gave  good  heed  to  the 
apostolic  rule,  "  Whose  adorning  let  it  not  be 
that  outward  adorning  of  .plaiting  the  hair,  and 
of  wearing  of  gold,  or  of  putting  on  of  [super- 
fluous] apparel ;  but  the  hidden  man  of  the 
heart,  even  the  ornament  of  a  meek  and  quiet 
spirit,  which  is  in  the  sight  of  God  of  great 
price." 

There  has  since  come  a  change.  The  plain, 
old-fashioned  Methodistic  bonnet  has  seldom 
been  seen  for  years.  The  modest  style  of  their 
other  apparel  has  been  exchanged  for  the  more 
common  fashions  of  the  world,  or,  perhaps  more 
properly,  like  other  Christian  women  of  the 
present  day.  This  change  may  be,  perhaps, 
accounted  for  as  follows.  Some  years  since 
plainness  in  female  attire  became  the  prevail- 
ing fashion  of  all  the  ladies  of  the  country. 
Plain  Methodistic  bonnets  and  dresses  were 
then  in  the  height  of  fashion,  and  continued  so 
for  some  time.  The  female  members  of  our 
Church  were  then,  in  their  style  of  dress,  like 
the  world  without  conforming  to  it ;  the  world 


Customs  and  Characteristics.  65 

conformed  to  them.  At  length,  when  the  fash- 
ion changed  again  from  plain  to  more  orna- 
mental, our  sisters  very  naturally,  but  almost 
unconsciously,  changed  with  it  Though  less 
Methodistic  according  to  old  ideas,  yet  we  trust 
there  are  some  still  among  us  who  deplore  the 
prevailing  extravagant  fashions  of  our  times, 
and  intend  to  conform  to  apostolic  and  Method- 
istic rules  "  in  modest  apparel." 

Our  members,  male  and  female,  should  be 
plain  and  modest  in  their  apparel,  in  defiance 
against  the  world,  and  as  examples  worthy  of 
imitation — not  odd  enough  to  attract  particular 
attention,  or  so  coarse  or  untasteful  as  to  merit 
disgust.  "  Cleanliness,  simplicity,  economy,  and 
modesty,"  says  a  certain  writer,  "  are  Christian 
virtues,  without  which  our  piety  will  appear  de- 
formed, and  lose  much  of  its  influence  both  on 
ourselves  and  others." 

PUBLIC  LAY  TESTIMONY  FOR  CHRIST 

Was  a  custom  commonly  practiced  by  our 
brethren  and  sisters  in  public  on  the  Sabbath 
and  other  occasions  in  those  early  da)is.  One  or 
more — frequently  several — would  arise  in  their 
places  and  testify  to  the  truth  just  preached, 
relate  experience,  or  engage  in  earnest  exhor- 
tation, often  to  the  edification  of  the  Church 
5 


66     Methodism,  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

and  profit  of  others.  But,  unfortunately,  some 
instances  would  occur  when  the  style  and  spirit 
of  their  testimony  would  prove  worse  than  a 
failure  in  their  influence  on  the  hearers.  It 
diverted  attention  from  the  word  preached  by 
wearisome  length  or  indiscreet  utterances. 

In  my  early  ministry  I  was  invariably  in  the 
habit  of  giving  "  liberty  "  .for  brethren  and  sis- 
ters to  speak  after  sermon,  and  often  heard 
powerful  testimonies  for  Christ  in  our  Sabbath 
assemblies.  I  sometimes  heard  testimonies 
which  were  apparently  worse  than  profitless. 
Such  testimonies  were  the  exceptions,  not  the 
more  common  ones.  We  praise  the  great  Head 
of  the  Church  for  the  good  resulting  from  this 
old  custom  in  many  instances. 

This  practice  has  now  become  obsolete.  If 
ever  there  was  a  demand  for  it,  that  demand 
has  passed  away.  Our  stated  Sabbath  evening 
prayer-meetings  are  within  the  reach  of  nearly 
all  who  attend  worship  during  the  day,  where 
their  testimony  for  Christ  is  urged  and  expect- 
ed, and  can  be  generally  given  without  inter- 
rupting or  delaying  the  appropriate  services. 
We,  who  have  been  familiar  with  this  old  cus- 
tom of  earlier  times,  part  with  it  without  re- 
morse of  conscience  or  tears  of  sorrow  for  its 
termination,  praying  that  the  genuine  "  old- 


Customs  and  Characteristics.  67 

fashioned"  testimony  for  Christ,  in  the  social 
worship  of  God,  may  become  more  and  more 
the  custom  of  all  Methodists,  as  well  as  of  all 
of  every  name,  till  the  coming  of  the  Lord  to 
gather  his  people  home. 

Another  custom  of  forty  years  ago  was  that  of 

KNEELING    IN    TIME    OF    PUBLIC    AND    SOCIAL 
PRAYER. 

This  custom  has  high  authority,  derived  from 
the  precepts  and  examples  of  the  word  of  God. 
It  received  the  hearty  sanction  of  the  Church 
of  England,  and  of  the  early  Methodist  fathers. 
They  heeded  the  injunction  of  Holy  Writ, 
"  Come,  let  us  bow  down  and  worship,  let  us 
kneel  before  the  Lord  our  Maker."  For  "at  the 
name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  and  every 
tongue  confess." 

The  Methodists  forty  years  ago  kept  up  this 
practice,  and  continued  it  till  some  years  later 
in  New  England.  And  we  are  happy  to  add, 
we  have  seen  it  practiced,  in  recent  years,  in 
the  South  and  West,  and  even  in  the  western 
part  of  New  England.  But  we  are  sorry  to 
record  the  fact,  that  'in  very  many  places  the 
practice  has  been  of  late  abandoned  in  public 
worship  except  by  the  minister,  and  is  too  little 
heeded  except  by  a  few  in  social  worship.  We 


68     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

should  love  the  "  old  landmarks  which  the 
fathers  have  set,"  especially  when  they  have 
been  set  with  unerring  accuracy  by  the  hand 
of  Divine  Wisdom. 


AUDIBLE    RESPONSES  THEN    AND    NOW. 

Appropriate  responses  in  public  prayer,  and 
other  religious  exercises,  have  been  common  in 
all  ages,  both  among  Jews  and  Christians.  The 
Church  of  England,  and  the  Protestant  Episco- 
pal Church  in  America,  in  their  prayer-books 
and  by  example,  give  the  practice  their  em- 
phatic approval.  Our  Methodistic  fathers  were, 
therefore,  by  inheritance,  entitled  to  the  custom, 
and  faithfully  continued  to  give  their  audible 
responses. 

Forty  years  ago  such  utterances  as  "  Amen," 
"  Glory  to  God,"  "  Halleluia,"  were. not  unfre- 
quent  in  our  social  and  public  worship.  There 
were  then,  as  now,  different  temperaments  and 
tastes.  Some  from  full  hearts  "  shouted  aloud 
the  praises  of  the  Lord,"  and  felt  the  better  for 
the  privilege  enjoyed  ;  while  others,  of  cooler 
temperament,  chose  only  to  employ  their  hearty 
"  Amens  "  in  approval  of  the  truths  which  were 
being  uttered.  Still  others,  though  not  shout- 
ers  themselves,  were  never  annoyed  at  hearing 


Customs  and  Characteristics.  69 

good  Christian  people  "  shout  aloud  the  praises 
of  the  Lord."  A  fourth  class,  of  very  sensi- 
tive nerves  and  delicate  ears,  were  unedified, 
and  apparently  unprofited,  hearers  of  such  re- 
sponses, but  generally,  for  the  sake  of  the  cause 
they  loved,  were  not  "  troublers  of  our  Israel  " 
on  this  account. 

The  appellation  of  "  noisy,  shouting  Method- 
ist -"  was  then  not  an  uncommon  one.  Our 
young  people  now  are  less  accustomed  to  shout- 
ing themselves,  or  of  hearing  it  from  others  ; 
and  our  older  members,  once  so  accustomed  to 
it,  now,  for  the  sake  of  others,  restrain  their 
emotions.  Nevertheless,  even  now  are  often 
heard  these  old-fashioned  responses  in  social 
and  public  worship  in  some  parts  of  our  Zion. 

The  authority  for  such  responsive  utterances 
is  from  the  highest  source.  When  David 
closed  his  psalm  at  the  removal  of  the  ark, 
"All  the  people  said  Amen,  and  praised  the 
Lord."  St.  Paul,  in  urging  the  importance  of 
speaking  understandingly  in  public,  inquires, 
"  How  shall  he  that  occupieth  the  room  of  the 
unlearned  say  Amen  at  thy  giving  of  thanks  ? 
seeing  he  understandeth  not  what  thou  sayest." 

At  the  dedication  of  the  Temple,  when  God 
appeared  in  his  cloud  of  glory,  the  people 
"  bowed  themselves  to  the  ground,  and  praised 


70      Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

the  Lord,  saying,  For  he  is  good  ;  for  his  mercy 
endureth  forever."  When  Jesus  rode  in  tri- 
umph into  Jerusalem,  his  disciples,  unrebuked, 
shouted  "  Hosanna :  blessed  is  he  that  cometh 
in  the  name  of  the  .Lord.  Hosanna  in  the 
highest  !  "  At  the  laying  of  the  foundation  of 
the  Temple  "  the  people  shouted  with  a  great 
shout,  and  praised  the  L6rd." 

A  practice  of  such  high  authority  our  people 
should  not  then  be  either  ashamed  nor  afraid 
to  indorse  practically. 

May  all  the  essentials  of  worshiping  "  God  in 
spirit  and  in  truth  "  never  cease  among  us,  but 
increase  more  and  more  till  that  glorious  day 
when  the  "  great  multitude,  which  no  man  can 
number,"  shall  be  gathered  "from  the  east  and 
the  west,  from  the  north  and  the  south,  and 
shall  sit  down  with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob 
in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  and  all  in  blessed 
harmony  shout  aloud  their  praises  to  God  and 
the  "  Lamb,  who  has  redeemed  them  and  washed 
them  in  his  own  blood  ! " 

LOSING  STRENGTH  J  OR,  THE  FALLING  UNDER 
THE  POWER  OF  GOD,  SO-CALLED,  THEN  AND 
NOW. 

The  manifestation  bearing  this  appellation 
was  not  uncommon  forty  years  ago.  Often  have 


Customs  and  Characteristics.  yi 

I  seen  persons  under  a  high  state  of  religious 
emotion  fall  powerless,  physically,  and  remain 
so  sometimes  for  hours^with  countenances  ra- 
diant with  delight,  and  their  spirits  in  apparent 
communion  with  heaven.  When  gradually  re- 
gaining strength  they  would  first,  with  low  and 
soft  voice,  and  then,  as  strength  increased,  ut- 
ter forth  louder  praises  to  God  and  the  Lamb 
who  had  given  them  the  victory.  These  mani- 
festations were  occasionally  witnessed  in  class 
and  prayer  meetings,  and  in  time  of  public  wor- 
ship. They  were  always  expected  at  our  camp- 
meetings.  I  have  witnessed  them,  within  forty 
years,  at  the  family  altar  of  my  members,  in  the 
house  of  God  on  the  Sabbath,  as  well  as  in  the 
tented  grove.  I  have  seen  the  skeptic  look 
upon  the  scene  in  utter  amazement,  and  heard 
him  ask,  "  What  does  this  all  mean  ?  "  Some- 
times I  have  known  experiments  tried  to  test 
whether  they  were  a  reality  or  a  pretense  ;  and 
many  have  been  constrained  to  say,  "  This  is 
the  Lord's  doings,  and  it  is  marvelous  in  our 
eyes." 

Such  manifestations  were  very  common  in  the 
days  of  Wesley  and  Edwards,  as  also  were  other 
peculiar  physical  exercises.  They  were  not  con- 
fined to  any  denomination,  but  were  doubtless 
more  frequent  among  the  early  Methodists. 


72     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

These  manifestations,  as  years  passed  on,  be- 
came less  frequent,  and  have  gradually  dimin- 
ished, until  now  they  seldom  occur.  Were 
these  peculiar  manifestations  really  from  God 
or  not  ?  We  do  not  well  to  doubt  their  origin. 
They  usually  came  upon  the  persons  when  their 
minds  were  drawn  toward  the  divine  Spirit  with 
undivided  attention,  and  on  their  utmost  stretch 
for  heavenly  things. 

Similar  instances  are  recorded  in  the  Word 
of  Life.  Such,  I  judge,  was  the  physical  and 
spiritual  condition  of  Peter,  James,  and  John 
on  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration  ;  of  Paul  when 
"  caught  up  to  the  third  heavens,  and  heard 
things  unlawful  for  man  to  utter,"  but  "  whether 
in  the  body  or  out  of  the  body  he  could  not 
tell ;  "  and  of  the  Revelator,  John,  when  on  the 
Isle  of  Patmos  he  "  fell  as  a  dead  man  at  the 
feet"  of  the  glorious  manifestation  of  Him  "  who 
was  the  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory." 

But  why  are  these  physical  manifestations  so 
seldom  now,  when  once  so  frequent  ?  The  an- 
swer to  this  question,  in  the  opinion  of  candid 
minds,  is  not  very  easily  given.  Will  it  do  to 
say  that  the  faith  and  piety  of  the  Church  have 
so  far  abated  that  God  has  withdrawn  his 
special  presence  and  favor  to  the  extent  that  he 
will  riot  equally  commune  with  us  now  as  then  ? 


Customs  and  Characteristics.  73 

This  we  shall  be  slow  to  believe.  Unless  we 
grossly  misjudge,  there  is  as  much  consistent, 
fervent  piety  in  the  Methodist  Church  to-day 
as  there  was  forty  years  ago.  More  than  this, 
the  manifestations  to  which  we  refer  were  not 
wholly  confined  to  the  highest  type  of  piety. 
Many  became  thus  prostrated  in  strength  whose 
steadfast  devotion  to  the  cause  of  God  was  not 
remarkable. 

Will  it  do  to  regard  all  these  manifestations 
as  the  result  of  nervous  excitement  or  physical 
ailments  ?  Certainly  not.  Not  only  have  phys- 
ically infirm  and  nervous  persons  been  thus 
overcome,  but  men  of  great  physical  endurance, 
and  evenly  balanced  in  body  and  mind,  have 
been  under  this  power.  Why,  then,  have  these 
manifestations  so  far  passed  away  ?  Has  God 
changed  in  his  mode  of  manifestations  to  us  ? 
or  have  we  learned,  whether  right  or  wrong,  to 
resist  these  influences  ? 

Of  one  thing  we  are  sure.  In  those  early 
days  of  precious  revivals  worship  was  far  more 
exciting,  affecting  the  nervous  system  more  than 
the  same  degree  of  piety  now  under  calmer  and 
more  enlightened  worship.  Whether  this  is  the 
real  cause  the  reader  must  judge  for  himself. 
We  know  that  God  can  and  does  commune  with 
his  people,  and  gloriously  carry  on  his  work 


74     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

without  these  peculiar  manifestations  ;  and  if  he 
shall  continue  to  withhold  them,  or  again  bring 
them  to  pass,  we  will  cheerfully  say,  "  He  doeth 
all  things  well."  All  glory  to  his  holy  name  ! 
May  the  real  strength  of  his  Church  increase 
more  and  more  until  the  divine  glory  shall  fill 
the  earth ! 


Visiting  from  House  to  House.  75 


CHAPTER  VI. 
Ministerial  "Visiting  from  House  to  House  " 

tHIS  duty  is  most  distinctly  required  of  our 
ministers  in  the  word  of  God,  and  by  the 
Discipline  of  our  Church.  From  the  in- 
troduction of  Methodism  it  has  ever  been  in- 
sisted upon,  and  to  a  great  extent  practiced  by 
her  ministry.  This  was  a  prominent  feature  in 
the  practical  workings  of  our  Church  forty  years 
ago.  It  has  been  elsewhere  said  that  ordinarily 
our  ministers  made  at  least  one  thousand  family 
visits  during  each  conference  year.  To  accom- 
plish this  even  the  preacher  needed  to  average 
some  thirty  per  week,  and  more  generally  per- 
form them  in  the  P.M.,  omitting,  as  a  rule,  the 
holy  Sabbaths  and  Mondays,  not  generally  ap- 
propriate days  for  ministers  or  the  families  of 
parishioners  for  such  visits.  The  programme 
marked  out  and  generally  approved  for  these 
visits  was  religious  conversation  and  prayer 
with  the  families,  varied  according  to  their  spir- 
itual condition. 


76     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

Some  made  it  a  rule  to  talk  with  each  one 
accessible  separately  and  faithfully,  and  warn, 
invite,  reprove,  encourage,  or  comfort,  as  he 
thought  the  occasion  required,  and  then  pray 
for  them,  whether  invited  or  not,  if  allowed  to 
do  so. 

Our  wise  and  much  esteemed  presiding  elder 
of  early  times,  Rev.  J.  G.  Dow,  took  occasion  at 
one  of  our  "  ministerial  associations  "  to  give  us 
young  ministers  a  good  talk  on  the  mode  of 
pastoral  visiting  most  proper  to  be  pursued. 
While  he  urged  faithfulness  in  the  duty,  he 
would  have  us  carefully  consider  whether  the 
families  visited  were  in  proper  condition  to  turn 
aside  from  the  routine  of  daily  labors  and  have 
prayers.  He  said  that  "  there  might  be  circum- 
stances when  it  would  be  exceedingly  inappro- 
priate even  to  suggest  it,  as  a  family  would  feel 
very  backward  to  refuse,  and  really  be  harmed 
to  allow  it."  He  gave  the  following  illustration  : 
"  A  certain  Methodist  pastor  called  at  the  house 
of  one  of  his  parishioners,  where  the  woman 
was  a  member  of  the  Church,  but  her  husband 
not  inclined  to  religion.  The  good  woman  was 
preparing  the  oven  to  bake  for  dinner ;  the  man 
of  the  house  was  out  in  the  field  with  hired  help, 
expecting  to  return  for  dinner  at  the  appointed 
hour.  Just  as  the  oven  was  ready  for  use  the 


Visiting  from  House  to  House.  77 

good  but  unobserving  minister  proposed  prayer. 
The  good  woman  was  too  modest  or  too  bashful 
to  decline  it.  When  through,  the  oven  was  too 
cool  for  baking  the  needed  dinner.  When  the 
hungry  men  came  from  the  field  they  found  a 
deeply  mortified  and  tortured  woman  and  a  raw 
dinner.  The  husband  was  very  angry,  and  the 
others  not  very  agreeable.  That  minister  might 
with  much  propriety  have  omitted  prayer  that 
time,  and  he  should  have  known  it." 

Others  were  more  observing,  and  sought  to 
adapt  their  visits  more  to  the  circumstances  of 
the  families  they  visited ;  while  still  others,  as 
now,  doubtless  there  were  who  were  too  willing 
to  find  some  excuse  for  their  neglect,  and  either 
did  not  visit  many  of  their  parishioners  at  all, 
or  failed  to  make  them  appropriately  religious. 

Some  of  our  pastors,  then  as  now,  were  careful 
to  visit  the  people  of  their  own  Church  and 
congregation  once  per  quarter,  and,  extraordi- 
naries  excepted,  those  only;  while  other  Methodist 
pastors,  especially  where  th'ere  were  not.  other 
pastors,  felt  it  to  be  their  duty  to  visit  "from 
house  to  house"  the  good,  bad,  and  indifferent, 
passing  by  none  as  far  as  they  went. 

I  confess  myself  to  have  been  early  impressed 
with  this  idea  by  the  example  of  those  I  had 
early  known,  and  from  my  own  convictions  of 


78     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

duty  for  the  well-being  of  precious  souls  who 
could  not  be  reached  so  well  in  any  other  way. 
I  began  my  ministry  with  this  view  of  it.  I 
often  in  my  visits  found  those  who  were  suffer- 
ing by  bereavements  or  other  domestic  afflic- 
tions, and  needed  to  be  comforted ;  those  in 
doubts  and  fears,  who  needed  encouragement ; 
those  who  were  cold  in  .religion,  and  needed 
reviving  ;  those  awakened,  who  needed  to  be  led 
to  Christ  for  salvation  ;  and  the  wayward  ones, 
who  needed  to  be  reproved  and  led  in  the  right 
way.  In  most  such  families  these  calls  were 
duly  appreciated,  and  I  trust  somewhat  profita- 
ble ;  and  when  there  was  no  special  embarrass- 
ment by  any  peculiar  circumstances  as  above 
named,  our  good  people,  generally  with  open 
doors  and  open  arms,  received  us  into  their 
houses,  where  we  were  cheerfully  entertained 
and  refreshed. 

These  cheering  facts  prepare  me,  and  I  trust 
the  reader  also,  for  some  records  of  a  very  op- 
posite character — -treatment  far  more  easy  to  for- 
give than  to  forget.  I  hope  the  young  pastor  will 
be  spared  the  embarrassments  of  meeting  simi- 
lar receptions,  though  grace  is  free  and  equal 
to  any  emergency,  and  the  promise  of  the  Mas- 
ter is,  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway." 

My  first  rebuff  in   the  line  of  visiting  as  a 


Visiting  from  House  to  House.  79 

minister  was  in  my  native  town,  not  many  miles 
from  my  early  home,  where  I  had  two  winters 
before  taught  the  district  school,  and  a  part 
of  the  winter  boarded  in  a  family  of  high  re- 
spectability, though  the  husband  and  father,  a 
rigid  Calvinist,  was  not  always  amiable,  for 
reasons  easily  explained  by  his  family,  but  still  a 
professor  of  religion.  All  its  members  had  till 
a  year  or  two  before  been  members  of  a  Church 
of  the  Calvinistic  faith.  Two  maiden  daughters, 
perhaps  between  thirty  and  forty  years  old,  of 
uncommon  intelligence,  culture,  and  Christian 
character,  had  seen  proper  to  connect  them- 
selves with  the  Methodists,  no  doubt  to  the 
great  grief  of  their  bigoted  father. 

In  my  early  ministry  I  called  again  as  an 
acquaintance  and  friend,  and  by  invitation 
stopped  to  dinner.  My  horse  was  put  into  the 
stable,  and  I  made  my  visit  with  the  family. 
After  dinner  1  walked  out  into  the  front  yard, 
followed  by  the  old  man  of  the  house,  who  be- 
gan to  question  me  about  my  preaching.  "  You 
have  begun  to  preach,  then,  have  you  ? "  said  he, 
to  which  I  gave  a  suitable  reply.  He  imme- 
diately added,  "  If  you  will  preach  such  jloc- 
trine  as  John  Calvin  did  I  shall  approve  of 
your  course  ! "  I  replied,  "  Shall  you  not  if  I 
preach  such  doctrine  as  John  Wesley  did  ? " 

\ 


So     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

He  quickly  responded,  with  great  warmth  and 
strong  emphasis,  "  No  !  He  was  a  heretic,  and 
so  are  all  his  followers  ! "  and  added,  "  They 
will  come  where  they  are  not  wanted ;  they 
will  put  their  horses  in  the  barn,  to  eat  up  the 
hay  that  don't  belong  to  them  ;  they  will  come 
into  people's  houses  and  '  lead  away  silly  women,' 
and  come  and  sit  at  their  tables,  and  eat  up 
their  victuals."  To  all  of  which  I  quickly  replied, 

"  Mr.  C ,  if  I  am  an  intruder  upon   your 

rights  I  will  leave  you  ! "  He  then  answered, 
"  I  respect  you  as  a  young  man  ;  I  value  you 
as  our  former  school-teacher ;  I  know  and  respect 
your  father  ;  but  as  a  Methodist  preacher  I  can- 
not approve  of  ydu.  You  will  find  the  true 
doctrine  to  preach  in  the  ninth  chapter  of  Ro- 
mans ! "  It  is  needless  for  me  to  add  that  the 
old  man  and  his  young  intruder  were  soon  at  a 
respectful  distance  from  each  other,  and  that 
the  like  intrusion  has  never  been  repeated. 

Another  embarrassing  spot  I  found  myself  in 
a  few  months  later  was  on  my  first  circuit,  when 
I  called  at  the  residence  of  a  Universalist  fam- 
ily where  I  sought  to  be  faithful  in  my  visit,  as  I 
therkg^an  inexperienced  youth  in  these  matters) 
imd^rltpod  duty.  I  found  the  woman,  who  was 
soi^^^ixty  years  old,  in  her  kitchen  shelling 
p*eas  for  dinner.  I,  as  easify  as  I  knew  how, 


Visiting  from  House  to  House.  81 

asked  her  whether  she  enjoyed  religion.  She 
answered  me  snappishly,  "  Yes,  I  do  !  But  I 
didn't  .go  to  ministers  for  it,  either ! "  and  in- 
stantly left  me  alone  in  the  room.  But  imme- 
diately the  man  of  the  house  came  in,  and,  in  a 
more  talkative  mood,  began  conversation,  to  the 
great  annoyance  of  his  disturbed  wife  and  a 
proud-spirited  son,  as  evidenced  by  his  coming 
to  the  door  again  and  again,  saying,  "  Come, 
father,  didn't  you  know  you  ought  to  be  going  ? " 
(it  appeared  that  his  horse  was  at  the  door  for 
him  to  ride  away  somewhere,)  and  father  would 
answer,  "  Well,  well,  son,  I  will  be  in  time." 
Again  the  door  would  open,  and  I  would  hear 
in  harsh  tones  the  son's  voice,  "  Come,  father, 
why  dont  you  start  ? "  and  again  the  good-na- 
tured father  would  put  him  off.  But  the  trouble- 
some young  Methodist  preacher  soon  relieved 
the  old  lady,  who  had  "  got  her  religion  without 
going  to  ministers  after  it,"  and  the  rest  of  the 
equally  pious  family,  by  taking  his  departure, 
which,  doubtless,  should  have  been  done  by  him 
sooner  than  it  was. 

In  another  place  I  had  the  whole   section 

*     .  •— ^ 

within  a  few  miles  of  the  church  for 
where,  at  that  time,  there  was  no  othei 
and   I  resolved  On.  visiting  every  family 

its  limits. 

6 


82     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

There  was  one  particular  family  whose  im- 
moral qualities  were  such  as  to  give  me  and 
my  people  no  little  solicitude  regarding  the 
treatment  I  should  receive,  as  no  preacher  had 
ever  called  there.  The  whole  family  were  per- 
fectly skeptical  on  religious  matters,  refusing 
the  services  of  ministers,  or  any  other  Chris- 
tian, for  prayers  when  any  member  of  the  family 
was  buried.  They  were  a  profane,  Sabbath- 
breaking,  rum -drinking  family,  of  the  toughest 
kind.  They  received  me  better  than  I  expected  ; 
but  their  best  manners  were  rough  enough  to 
make  me  feel  ill  at  ease.  After  hearing  their 
rough  talk  for  awhile  I  said  to  them,  "  I  have 
come  here  to  recommend  religion  and  pray  with 
you,  if  you  are  willing."  I  received  this  answer 
in  substance,  "  Religion,"  said  the  old  man  ;  "  I 
like  religion.  My  religion  is  to  be  clever  and 
treat  every  body  well ; "  and  then  added,  "  I  was 
asked  a  little  while  ago  if  I  would  treat  the  min- 
ister well  if  he  called  upon  me,  and  I  said,  Why, 
yes  !  I  will  give  him  all  he  wants  to  eat  and  to 
drink  if  he  calls."  "  Well,  then,"  said  I,  "  be 
clever  enough  to  let  me  talk  and  pray  with  you." 
He  replied,  "  You  may  pray  as  much  as  you 
are  a-mind  to,  but  it  will  never  make  the  corn 
grow  / "  I  then  gave  an  exportation  on  the 
subject  nearest  my  heart,  which  I  thought  ap- 


Visiting  from  House  to  House.  83 

propriate  for  the  time  and  place,  without  inter- 
ruption, and  then  prayed.  The  men  sat  with 
hats  on  their  heads,  and  looked  and  listened 
with  apparent  amazement.  When  I  left  I 
thanked  them  for  the  privilege  granted  me. 
The  old  man  answered,  "  You  are  welcome  to 
all  you  have  got  by  it,  which  isn't  any  thing. 
If  you  will  go  to  planting  corn  I  will  give  you 
some  seed-corn"  (the  seed-corn  was  hanging  in 
the  entry  I  was  passing  through.)  I  declined 
the  seed-corn,  but  told  him  I  had  gotjusf  what  I 
came  for,  namely,  a  talk  with  and  prayer  for 
them,  and  then  bade  him  and  the  family  good- 
bye. If  no  other  result  followed  this  dreaded 
visit  there  was  this :  the  old  man  would  roundly 
swear  that  "  there  was  one  minister  who  wasn't 
ashamed  nor  afraid  to  come  and  see  them  ! " 
Many  other  hard  spots  in  family  visiting  I 
might  name. 

I  will  give  but  one  more.  In  a  certain  town 
in  the  south  part  of  the  conference  I  was  mak- 
ing my  first  round  of  pastoral  visits  with  one  of 
the  class-leaders  to  pilot  me  and  introduce  me  to 
his  members.  We  came  to  the  house  where  one 
of  his  class-members  lived  with  her  daughter, 
whose  husband  was  very  irreligious,  and  when 
in  liquor  very  troublesome.  It  was  in  haying 
time,  and  his  work  was  in  hearing  distance  of 


84     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

the  strange  voices  in  the  house.  By  invitation 
of  the  mother  I  prayed.  He  came  in,  greatly 
enraged,  while  we  were  at  prayer,  making  a 
great  noise  with  his  feet  and  with  the  chairs. 
When  prayer  was  ended,  he  roughly  demanded, 
"  What  does  all  this  mean  ? "  All  were  silent 
for  a  time.  Then  I  answered,  "  I  am  the  pas- 
tor of  the  Church  of  which  your  mother-in-law 
is  a  member.  I  have  come  here  for  a  pastoral 
call,  and  she  invited  me  to  pray,  and  I  complied." 
He  angrily  answered,  "  No  one  has  a  right  to 
command  this  house  except  myself !  "  I  re- 
sponded, "  If  I  am  an  intruder  I  will  leave." 
He  showed  me  the  door,  and,  with  raised  voice 
and  fist,  yelled  out,  "  Clear  out !  Clear  out ! 
CLEAR  OUT  !  "  I  left,  calmly  seeking  the  mercy 
of  the  Lord  on  his  soul,  and  asking  for  grace 
to  suffer  for  Christ's  sake. 

In  my  pastoral  visits  for  many  years  past  I 
have  met  with  no  such  families,  though  I  have 
sought  to  do  a  good  amount  of  visiting,  and  I 
do  not  learn  of  similar  annoyances  (with  ex- 
tremely rare  exceptions)  in  recent  times.  Our 
parishes  being  more  compact,  and  our  members 
and  congregations  nearer  by,  and  denomina- 
tional lines  in  .the  several  charges  being  more 
distinctly  known,  our  preachers  generally  visit 
their  own  people  more  exclusively,  while  the 


Visiting  from  House  to  House.  85 

pastors  of  other  Churches  attend  to  their  own 
without  molestation. 

The  more  faithful,  impartial,  and  extensive 
the  modern  pastor  in  this  department  of  labor 
now  is,  the  more  success  he  has  with  the  peo- 
ple. He  may  do  great  good  by  going  out 
among  the  neglected,  the  wandering,  the  vulgar 
and  profane,  and  the  neglecters  of  all  churches, 
and  invite  them  to  church  and  to  salvation. 

The  old  and  present  disciplinary  rule  is,  "  Go 
into  every  house  in  course,  and  teach  every  one 
therein,  young  and  old,  to  be  Christians  in- 
wardly and  outwardly  ;  make  every  particular 
plain  to  their  understandings  ;  fix  it  in  their 
minds  ;  write  it  on  their  hearts.  In  order  to 
this,  there  must  be  line  upon  line,  precept  upon 
precept.  What  patience,  what  love,  what  knowl- 
edge is  requisite  for  this  !  "  *  He  cannot  be 
an  unfaithful  pastor  who  will  seek  to  live  up  to 
all  such  requirements. 


86    Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
Camp-Meetings  Then  and  Now. 

tHESE  meetings  are  of  American,  but  not 
purely  of  Methodistic,  origin.  The  first 
held  in  this  country  originated  with  and 
were  sustained  by  the  Presbyterians  of  the 
West,  in  connection  with  other  denominations. 
The  Methodists,  however,  soon  became,  more 
especially  than  others,  their  advocates  and  sup- 
porters. 

Forty  years  ago  they  were  common  in  all 
parts  of  the  country  where  Methodism  had  suf- 
ficient numbers  and  influence  to  sustain  them 
and  appropriate  places  could  be  found  for  them. 
The  preparation  of  the  ground  was  a  work  de- 
manding earnest  and  persevering  effort  on  the 
part  of  both  preachers  and  people  living  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  where  they  were  held. 

It  took  days  of  hard  work  to  cut  up  the 
brush,  trim  up  the  trees,  level  the  ground,  pre- 
pare the  seats,  and  build  the  preachers'  stand. 
Too  often  this  work  had  to  be  performed  by 


Camp-Meetings  Then  and  Now.  87 

a  few — the  "  burden-bearers  "  of  the  Church — 
and  sometimes  too  much  of  it  on  the  first  day 
of  the  meeting. 

Tents'  companies,  having  at  home  prepared 
themselves  as  far  as  possible  with  cloth  tents 
and  cooked  provisions,  and  secured  means  of 
conveyance  in  lumber-wagons,  or  more  com- 
fortable carriages,  as  convenience  or  necessity 
dictated,  they  started,  the  more  distant  ones 
on  Monday  morning,  not  much  past  "noon  of 
ni^ht,"  for  their  annual  "  Feast  of  Tabernacles  " 
in  "the  leafy  grove." 

The  journey  being  performed,  the  happy  but 
weary  company  immediately  were ..  busily  at 
work  leveling  their  tent-ground,  cutting  tent- 
poles,  and  putting  up  their  tent,  which,  if  ac- 
complished in  time,  was  followed  by  a  good 
earnest  prayer-meeting,  and  then  "  weary  na- 
ture sought  repose,"  which,  however,  under 
the  new  circumstances,  was  sometimes  sought 
in  vain.  The  next  day  the  devotional  exercises 
began  in  good  earnest.  Tents'  companies,  per- 
haps in  all  not  more  than  twenty,  had  powerful 
prayer-meetings  in  their  respective  tents  sev- 
eral times  each  day.  Three  or  four  sermons  of 
special  appropriateness  and  power  were  daily 
preached  from  the  stand,  and  generally  one 
public  prayer-meeting  also  daily  held.  ;  , 


88     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

Sinners  were  powerfully  awakened,  earnest 
seekers  brought  into  the  light  and  liberty  of 
the  Gospel,  Christians  quickened  and  specially 
blessed  of  the  Lord,  and  shouts  of  victory  were 
heard  afar  off.  Thus  the  meeting  went  on,  from 
day  to  day.  The  Friday  evening  prayer-meet- 
ings, by  the  consent  of  the  presiding  elder, 
were  often  held  in  the  tents  to  a  later  hour 
than  usually  allowed.  These  were  sometimes 
seasons  of  marvelous  power.  It  was  common 
at  camp-meetings  for  some  to  be  prostrated 
on  the  ground,  overcome  by  what  was  called 
the  "  power  of  God."  Skeptical  "  despisers  be- 
held and  wondered,"  while  saints  shouted  aloud 
for  joy. 

The  closing  exercises,  on  Saturday  morning, 
consisted  of  a  brief  address  from  the  presiding 
elder,  or  some  one  of  the  older  preachers. 
Then  a  procession  was  formed,  which  marched 
around  the  ground,  singing  lustily  good  old 
Methodistic  hymns  to  the  familiar  tunes  of  the 
day.  •  Then  came  the  shaking-hand  exercise 
with  each  and  all  in  the  procession.  This  part- 
ing scene  was  often  very  affecting.  The  word 
of  hearty  good  cheer,  the  solemn  "  good-bye " 
with  the  prospect  of  meeting  again  in  heaven 
if  never  again  on  earth,  the  tears  of  grief  or 
joy,  the  shouts  of  praise,  all  rendered  the 


Camp-Meetings  Then  and  Now.  89 

scene  deeply  interesting,  sometimes  indescrib- 
ably glorious.  This  done,  then  our  tents  were 
taken  down,  our  goods  loaded,  and  we  were 
soon  in  our  vehicles  homeward  bound,  with 
"  our  hearts  burning  within  us  as  Jesus  talked 
with  us  by  the  way,"  and  opened  to  us  "  new 
beauties  in  the  King's  highway  of  holiness." 

What  a  change,  in  many  important  respects, 
in  our  camp-meeting  arrangements  and  gather- 
ings during  the  forty  years  past !  Our  camp- 
grounds are  now  owned,  with  few  exceptions, 
by  "  camp-meeting  associations,"  or  leased  for 
a  series  of  years.  They  are  well  prepared,  and 
furnished  with  a  well-built  preachers'  stand  and 
permanent  seats,  with  pure  water  within  easy 
reach,  with  boarding-houses  for  the  multitude, 
and  prices  of  fare  reasonable.  There  are  many 
permanent  society  tents,  numerous  family  dwell- 
ings tolerably  furnished,  where  some,  yea  many, 
are  found  in  these  pleasant  homes  for  weeks 
in  summer,  before  the  regular  camp-meeting 
begins,  preferring  such  places  to  popular  water- 
ing places  or  mountain  rambles. 

The  mode  of  travel  for  the  far  off  and  nearer 
by,  how  changed  !  Instead  of  the  slow  team 
and  lumber-wagon,  we  step  into  the  rail-cars, 
and  speed  our  way  rapidly  and  easily  to  the 
ground.  The  needed  preparations  are  quickly 


go     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

accomplished.  Conveniences  for  self-boarding 
are  such  as  to  make  the  task  comparatively 
light.  The  tents,  society  and  family,  are  count- 
ed by  hundreds,  and  the  people  in  attendance 
by  thousands.  The  mode  of  conducting  the 
public  and  social  exercises,  from  the  changed 
circumstances  of  the  meetings,  are  somewhat 
different  from  those  in  earlier  times  ;  but  the 
same  "  Master  of  assemblies  "  reveals  himself,  to 
sanctify,  reclaim,  convert,  or  quicken  all  the 
sincere  worshipers.  The  modern  camp-meet- 
ing, with  all  its  financial  improvements,  in- 
creased accommodations,  and  real  attractions, 
is  now,  as  well  as  were  those  of  earlier  times, 
a  divinely  recognized  means  of  grace,  where 
vast  numbers  are  yearly  greatly  quickened  in 
the  divine  life,  and  "  many  added  to  the  Lord 
of  such  as  shall  be  saved." 

These  great  camp-meeting  centers  also  afford 
agreeable  places  for  summer  and  healthful  re- 
sort, in  which  to  spend  a  few  weeks  away  from 
the  "heat,  bustle,  and  confusion  of  city  life,  and 
from  country  care  and  toil,  without  coming  into 
disagreeable  contact  with  all  the  demoralizing 
effects  of  degrading  fashions  in  dress,  social 
parties  for  sinful  amusements,  gambling  and 
drinking  dens,  and  disgusting  flirtations,  now 
disgracing  all  fashionable  watering-places. 


Camp- Meetings  Then  and  Now.  9 1 

It  is  hoped  that  these  camp-meeting  centers 
may  yet  prove  no  small  check  to  one  of  the  most 
dangerous  phases  of  modern  society,  as  well 
as  furnishing  a  great  safeguard  to  the  Church. 
Nevertheless,  there  is  danger  that  our  people 
shall  become  too  lax  in  their  tastes  and  habits, 
and  allow  objectionable  amusements  to  be  pressed 
into  these  now  quiet  and  agreeable  resorts  while 
loitering  there  prior  to  the  time  for  the  gather- 
ing together  of  the  great  multitude  for  their 
annual  "  Feast  'of  Tabernacles." 

Against  such  dangers  it  is  incumbent  on  our 
Church  to  keep  her  vigilant  eye  and  her  faith- 
ful sentinels,  lest  her  "good  be  evil  spoken 
of,"  Christ  "wounded  in  the  house  of  his 
friends,"  and  God  dishonored. 

May  the  glory  of  this  much-loved  annual 
"  feast,"  which  from  the  first  has  been  honored 
of  the  Lord  by  his  special  presence  and  saving 
power,  become  more  and  more  glorious  by 
being  the  spiritual  birthplace  of  many  thou- 
sands more ! 


92     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
Parsonages  and  Churches. 

THE  METHODIST  PARSONAGES  THEN  AND  NOW. 

t  HERE  were  few  parsonages  owned  by  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  forty  years 
ago,  and  these  were  such  as  did  not  meet 
the  real  wants  of  the  preacher's  family.  They 
were  not  conveniently  arranged  for  family  use, 
were  generally  small,  cheap,  and  unpainted,  and 
without  carpets,  sofas,  or  other  furniture.  What- 
ever commodities  of  this  kind  were  enjoyed  by 
the  itinerant's  family  were  generally  brought 
from  the  last  station,  which  was  sometimes  a 
distance  of  many  miles,  by  team,  and  of  course 
marred  and  bruised  by  the  removal. 

Sometimes  two  preachers  were  obliged,  at 
great  inconvenience  and  sacrifice,  to  occupy  the 
same  small  parsonage.  Where  parsonages  were 
not  provided  it  was  often  very  difficult  to  find -a 
home  for  the  pastor's  family.  Some  were  fortu- 
nate enough  to  be  able  to  hire  houses  for  their 
own  exclusive  use,  while  others  were  obliged  to 


Parsonages  and  Churches.  93 

take  up  with  the  scanty  hired  accommodations, 
at  great  inconvenience  and  discomfort,  in 
houses  with  other  occupants,  often  resulting  in 
disagreeable -interruptions  in  many  ways. 

My  memory  runs  back  to  the  parsonage  with- 
in the  bounds  of  the  circuit  of  my  early  home. 
It  was  a  small,  unpainted  house,  some  two  miles 
from  the  nearest  place  of  Sabbath  preaching, 
and  without  furniture  except  as  provided  by  the 
occupants.  In  it  lived  both  the  circuit  preach- 
ers of  forty  years  ago.  The  circuit  next  to  this 
in  one  direction  had  no  parsonage.  The  pastor 
lived  in  a  small,  poorly  finished,  scantily  fur- 
nished, old  brown  house,  which  must  have  been 
hired  at  small  expense.  The  circuit  next  in 
another  direction  had  a  parsonage  of  fair  size 
and  appearance,  with  some  better  accommoda- 
tions for  the  family  comfort ;  but  this  was  a 
mile  from  church,  and  the  pastor  absent  from 
home  two  thirds  of  the  Sabbath  at  his  other 
preaching-places,  thus,  from  necessity,  leaving 
his  wife  and  children  to  get  to  and  from  church 
as  best  they  could,  or  stay  at  home. 

In  other  parts  of  New  England  the  accommo- 
dations for  ministers'  homes  might  have  been 
better  than  these,  but  extensive  observation 
and  general  report  confirm  me  in  the  belief 
that  the  foregoing  represent  an  average  of  the 


94     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

homes  of  New  England  Methodist  ministers 
forty  years  ago. 

What  favorable  changes  in  these  matters 
within  the  forty  years  past !  As  Methodism 
has  progressed  in  numbers  and  wealth,  and  as 
Churches  have  become  more  permanently  gath- 
ered into  centers  of  population  and  influence, 
the  old  circuits  have  been  cut  up  into  stations, 
and  the  result  has  been  the  erection  or  pur- 
chase of  well-located,  large,  convenient,  and 
somewhat  expensive  parsonages  in  most  of  our 
pastoral  charges  for  the  accommodation  of  our 
ministers.  Some  are  respectably  supplied  by 
the  societies  with  heavy  furniture,  carpets,  etc., 
making  them  nearly  ready  for  occupancy  with- 
out burdensome  effort  on  the  part  of  the  newly 
appointed  pastor  and  family. 

In  some  stations  these  accommodations  are 
not  found.  The  people  of  such  stations  see  not 
yet  their  way  clear  to  buy  nor  build  ;  but  as  a 
rule  the  stewards  of  these  Churches  seek  to  pro- 
vide by  rent  suitable  homes  for  their  pastors. 
And  whether  parsonages  are  owned  or  houses 
hired  by  the  proper  officers  of  the  Church,  the 
good  people  of  most  of  the  stations  have  learned 
how  to  welcome  their  new  pastors  with  both 
labor  and  money,  and  other  substantial  tokens 
without  charge,  thus  cheering  them  in  the  sad- 


Parsonages  and  Churches.  95 

ness  of  removals  and  greatly  lightening  their 
burdens. 

But  with  all  these  advantages  now  to  be 
found  in  pastors'  homes,  in  most  of  our  stations, 
it  is  sad  to  know  that  there  is  yet  a  lack  of 
either  parsonages  or  hired  houses  in  a  few  of 
our  pastoral  charges.  Where  no  provision  is 
made  for  them  at  the  proper  time  extreme  em- 
barrassment and  inconvenience  are  almost  sure 
to  follow,  both  to  the  pastor  and  to  the  people. 
These  defects,  it  is  hoped,  will  in  time  be  reme- 
died. The  experience  of  the  past  should  teach 
delinquents  lessons  of  profit,  and  encourage  the 
more  thoughtful  and  prompt  to  perseverance  in 
their  labors  of  love. 

Of  the  one  hundred  and  fifteen  stations  in 
the  New  Hampshire  Conference  there  are  sixty- 
five  parsonages  reported,  valued  at  a  little  more 
than  $105,000.  These  embrace  the  good,  bad, 
and  indifferent,  some  ranging  as  high  as  $7,000, 
others  as  .low  as  $500,  or  less.  The  average 
value  is  $1,600.*  In  the  entire  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  in  the  United  States  there  are  be- 
tween four  and  five  thousand  parsonages,  with 
an  estimated  value  of  between  seven  and  eight 
millions  of  dollars  ;  and  they  are  being  built 
on  an  average  of  four  per  week. 

*  New  Hampshire  Conference  Minutes,  1872. 


96     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

May  the  day  soon  come  when  each  pastor's 
family  in  our  Church  shall  be  permitted  to  oc- 
cupy a  good,  well-furnished  parsonage  ! 


OUR  CHURCHES  AND  CHURCH  ACCOMMODATIONS 
THEN  AND  NOW. 

Forty  years  ago  we  had  in  different  localities 
our  Methodist  chapels  ;  but  they  were  generally 
without  steeples,  bells,  belfries,  paint,  or  cush- 
ioned pews,  and  rarely  in  any  center  of  popula- 
tion, for  there  other  more  influential  denomina- 
tions held  sway.  But  these  chapels  were  more 
generally  out  in  some  retired  school  district, 
where  the  itinerants  had  preached  and  gathered 
converts  till  the  place  had  become  "  too  strait " 
for  them,  and,  to  meet  the  necessity,  they 
would '  build  a  chapel.  These  places  became 
centers  of  Methodist  influence,  whither  the  peo- 
ple of  the  Lord  "  went  up  to  the  testimony  of 
Israel  to  give  thanks  unto  the  name  of  the 
Lord."  In  them  our  Methodistic  fathers  in  the 
ministry  in  those  days  preached  the  word  "in 
demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power." 
There  were  held  our  "  old-fashioned  quarterly 
meetings,"  when  brethren  and  sisters  came  from 
the  neighboring  towns  on  Saturday,  and  tarried 
through  all  the  services  of  Saturday  and  Sab- 


Parsonages  and  Churches.  97 

bath  ;  and  in  some  of  them  were  held  our  annual 
conferences.  Besides  these  chapels  we  had,  in 
some  instances,  our  Sabbath  services  in  what 
were  called  union  houses,  and  in  meeting-houses 
owned,  but  not  occupied,  by  other  denomina- 
tions. But  our  places  for  public  and  social 
worship,  to  a  great  extent,  were  school-houses, 
dwelling-houses,  and,  in  summer,  even  barns 
and  groves. 

Such  were  our  church  accommodations,  or  I 
might  say  want  of  accommodations,  in  most 
parts  of  New  England  forty  years  ago.  But 
the  good  Lord  was  with  his  people  then,  and 
"  confirmed  the  word  preached  with  signs  fol- 
lowing." Now  only  here  and  there  an  old- 
fashioned  chapel  remains  to  remind  us  of  the 
past  ;  and  we  are  happy  to  know  that  we  have 
almost  entirely  escaped  from  those  entangling 
alliances  with  other  people  caused  by  building 
and  occupying  with  them  what  have  strangely 
been  termed  "  union  meeting-houses" 

The  Methodists  have  built  and  are  building) 
in  the  centers  of  influence  and  population,  conven- 
ient, handsome,  and  sometimes  costly  churches, 
in  which  to  worship  God.  Church-building 
has  been,  with  our  people,  a  specialty  for  a  few 
years  past.  They  were  built  in  1870  at  the 
rapid  rate  of  over  four  for  every  working  day  in 


98     Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

the  year.*  We  have  now  in  the  denomination, 
in  this  country,  some  fifteen  thousand  church 
edifices,  worth  nearly  or  quite  $10,000,000,  and 
affording  sittings  for  more  than  four  millions 
of  people. 

In  the  New  Hampshire  Conference,  in  1872, 
there  were  reported  in  the  Minutes  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  stations  and  one  hundred  and  ten 
church  edifices,  valued  at  nearly  $700,000,  and, 
probably,  affording  sittings  for  forty  thousand 
people.  Some  are  .but  cheap  and  plain  houses, 
while  others  were  built  at  an  expense  of 
$60,000.  It  is  believed  that  the  rate  of  progress 
in  church-building  by  the  Methodists  in  this 
country  is  unparalleled  by  any  other  denomina- 
tion of  Christians  in  our  land. 

Modest  and  free  churches  at  the  first  was  our 
only  usage,  and  is  now  our  policy  as  a  Church, 
however  much  we  have  departed  from  it  in  oc- 
casional instances.  But  all  Churches  are  now 
beginning  to  look  in  that  direction  ;  and  it  is 
believed  that  ultimately  all  our  people  will 
recognize  it  as  a  wise  and  just  policy. 

*  Methodist  Almanac,  1871 


Opposition  to  Doctrines  and  Usages.       99 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Opposition  to  Methodist  Doctrines  and  Usages 
Forty  Years  Ago,*  and  Fraternal  Relations 
of  the  Churches  Now. 


INVALIDITY  OF  METHODIST  ORDINATIONS. 

> 

'ORTY  years  ago  High  Churchmen  of  En- 
gland and  America  were  bold  and  loud  in 
proclaiming  that  John  Wesley  had  no 
right  to  ordain  Dr.  Coke  General  Superintend- 
ent, or  Bishop,  of  the  Methodists  in  North 
America.  They  contended  that  there  were 
three  distinct  orders  in  the  ministry — bishop, 
elder,  and  deacon  ;  and  that  the  right  of  all 
ordinations  was  vested  in  the  bishop  by  virtue 
of  an  "  unbroken  succession "  from  the  first 
bishops — the  apostles — and  that  if  one  link  in 
the  chain  should  be  broken  it  would  render  in- 
valid all  succeeding  ordinations  ;  and,  therefore, 
as  this  chain  was  broken  by  Mr.  Wesley,  (he 

*  The  writer  acknowledges  his  indebtedness  to  Dr.  N. 
Bangs'  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  vol.  iv,  for 
many  of  the  facts  of -this  chapter,  and  in  some  instances  some- 
what to  his  language,  without  the  use  of  quotation  marks. 


IOO  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

being  only  an  elder,)  the  Methodists  had  "  no 
Church,  no  ordained  ministers,  no  sacraments" 

In  a  tract  published  and  widely  extended  by 
them,  called  "  Tracts  for  the  People,  No.  IV," 
we  find  the  following  language  :  "  Methodism 
is  not  a  ChurcJi — has  no  sacraments,  has  no  min- 
istry, no  divine  warrant"  This  is  the  general 
drift  of  the  tract,  and  therefore  we  are  prepared 
for  its  answer  to  its  own  question  when  it  asks, 
"  Well,  if  Methodism  be  not  true,  what  has  be- 
come of  the  thousands  who  have  died  in  its 
connection?  No  reply  is  pretended!  The  hu- 
man mind  cannot  tell  that.  Let  those  who  are 
living  see  to  themselves  !  The  salvation  of  your 
neighbor  is  not  left  to  you  to  determine  ;  but  it 
is  left  ior  you  to  be  sure  that  you  are  in  the  way 
most  likely  to  save  yourself  ."  Though  the  doc- 
trine of  this  tract  had  been  proclaimed  by  High 
Churchmen  from  the  first,  yet  this  new  attack, 
in  this  particular  manner,  created  much  bitter 
feeling  and  strife.  It  was  answered  in  an  able 
manner  in  a  tract  (No.  305)  by  Dr.  George 
Peck. 

Similar  attacks  were  made  by  others  on  our 
Church  polity,  but  able  writers  were  raised  up 
"  in  defense  of  our  fathers."  Among  other 
works,  Dr.  N.  Bangs'  book  on  "  An  Original 
Church  of  Christ"  came  to  our  defense.  He 


Opposition  to  Doctrines  and  Usages.      101 

took  the  position  that  the  doctrine  of  uninter- 
rupted succession  from  the  apostles  in  a  third 
order  by  a  triple  consecration,  as  distinct  from 
and  superior  to  presbyters,  has  been  discarded 
by  most  ecclesiastical  writers  as  resting  on  no 
solid  foundation,  not  being  susceptible  of  proof 
from  any  authentic  source  ;  that  the  word  of 
God  and  the  testimonies  of  the  primitive  fathers 
of  the  Church  went  to  sustain  the  idea  that 
bishops  and  presbyters  were  the  same  ordert 
though  different  offices,  and  that  Mr.  Wesley, 
in  providing  for  his  spiritual  children,  invaded 
no  man's  right,  nor  assumed  that  which  did  not 
belong  to  him.  This  was  the  position  of  our 
Church,  and  most  of  her  ministers  and  mem- 
bers became  pretty  thoroughly  posted  on  the 
subject.  Our  bishops,  we  claim,  are  in  the  true 
"  apostolic  succession." 

OPPOSITION  TO  METHODIST  DOCTRINE. 

Calvinists  then  strenuously  opposed  our 
Methodistic  doctrines  of  "  Free  Grace,"  "  Free 
Will,"  "  The  Witness  of  the  Spirit  of  our  Adop- 
tion," and  "  Danger  of  Apostasy  ;"  but  they 
gloried  in  "  Divine  Sovereignty,"  "  Fore-ordina- 
tion," in  election  of  some  from  all  eternity  to 
eternal  life,  "  and  reprobation  of  others  to  dam- 
nation," and  the  impossibility  of  apostasy  from 


IO2   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

true  conversion."  These  opposing  views  created ' 
much  discussion.  Our  views  were  stoutly  de- 
fended by  Dr.  W.  Fisk  in  a  work  called  "  Cal- 
vinistic  Controversy,"  and  by  our  preachers 
generally.  They  were  "  bold  in  our  God "  to 
defend  the  true  "  Gospel  with  much  conten- 
tion." 

The  young  reader  may  be  assisted  in  forming 
some  clearer  idea  than  he  otherwise  could  of  the 
outspoken  Calvinism  of  those  days  by  the  fol- 
lowing interesting  reminiscences : 

On  one  of  my  early"  circuits  a  good  deacon  of 
a  certain  Church  of  the  Calvinistic  faith  related 
to  me,  with  deep  emotion,  his  Christian  expe- 
rience in  substance  as  follows :  "  Away  back 
many  years  ago,"  said  he,  "the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  sought  me  out,  and  opened  my  heart. 
The  law  then  entered  '  and  slew  me,'  and 
pushed  me  to  the  very  verge  of  hell.  The 
more  the  Spirit  showed  me  my  wicked  heart, 
and  the  nearer  I  came  to  the  verge  of  hell,  (till 
I  thought  every  moment  I  should  drop  in,)  the 
more  I  hated  God,  and  most  gladly  would  I 
have  dethroned  him  if  I  had  the  power.  I 
hated  him  with  perfect  hatred.  At  that  very 
moment  Jesus  Christ  came  and  took  me  into 
his  loving  arms?  "  By  faith,"  I  responded. 
"  No,"  said  the  good  old  man>  "  there  was  not 


Opposition  to  Doctrines  and  Usages.      103 

a  jot  of  faith  about  it,  till  my  rebellious  heart 
was  changed  from  nature  to  grace.  Then  I  had 
faith  given  me,  and  I  repented,  but  not  before." 
Not  far  from  this  time  I  heard  his  minister 
preach,  who  was  also  a  Calvinist  of  "  the  strait- 
est  sort."  The  time  and  circumstances,  which 
no  doubt  called  out  the  sermon,  were  peculiar, 
and  need  explanation. 

My  Sabbath  appointment  in  one  part  of  my 
circuit  came  where  the  Methodists  had  no 
church  edifice,  and  the  Church  of  the  Calvin- 
istic  faith  had  one,  which  they  occupied  only 
each  alternate  Sabbath.  They  therefore  kindly 
offered  its  use  to  the  Methodists  for  the  other 
Sabbaths,  which  was  gladly  accepted.  I  had 
taken  occasion  to  preach  on  a  certain  Sabbath 
on  "  the  higher  Christian  life,"  and  "  the  danger 
of  final  apostasy,"  to  the  great  annoyance,  as  I 
afterward  found,  of  my  Calvinistic  hearers. 

The  week  following  the  denomination  owning 
the  church  held  a  "  ministerial  association " 
therein,  which  I  attended.  The  old  pastor  had 
never  seen  me  before,  but  had  heard  of  my  het- 
erodoxical  sermon,  as  he  regarded  it.  When 
about  to  commence  his  services  he  turned  to  a 
ministerial  associate,  and  pointing  down  in  the 
direction  where  I  was  sitting,  asked,  as  I  thought, 
"  Isn't  that  the  young  Methodist  preacher  who 


IO4  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

preached  here  last  Sabbath  ? "  and  in  response 
received  a  nod  of  "yes."  When  commencing 
his  sermon  he  in  effect  said,  "  I  am  peculiarly 
impressed  to  take  the  following  text :  '  We  are 
his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto 
good  works,  which  God  hath  before  ordained, 
that  we  should  walk  in  them.'"  Ephes.  ii,  10. 
He  explained  it  thus :  "  The  metaphor  of  the 
text  is  one  which  relates  to  the  erection  of  a 
building.  The  marksman  goes  out  into  the  for- 
est and  selects  the  trees  he  would  use  in  the 
erection  of  his  building  ;  so  the  Holy  Spirit  goes 
out  and  selects  his  favorite  subject,  and  marks 
him  as  his  own  by  opening  his  heart.  Then 
comes  the  axman  and  fells  the  tree  which  has 
been  thus  marked  ;  so  the  law  of  God  enters  the 
marked  sinner,  whose  heart  has  been  opened  to 
receive  it,  and  '  slays  him.'  Then  comes  the 
hewer  and  scores  and  hews  and  straightens  out 
the  timber ;  but,  mind  you,  he  leaves  all  the 
old  heart  in.  So  the  Gospel  comes  in  and 
straightens  out  the  crooked  ways  of  the  selected 
sinner — smooths  off  the  rough  spots,  and  cuts 
off  the  knots,  and  thus  prepares  him  for  a  place 
in  the. '  spiritual  temple.'  But,  mind  you"  said 
he,  with  peculiar  emphasis  and  gesture,  "he 
leaves  all  the  old  heart  in  him.  Perfection  is 
perfection,  and  it  doesn't  belong  to  man.  Do 


Opposition  to  Doctrines  and  Usages.      105 

you  think  any  body  can  be  perfect  with  all  the 
old  heart  left  in  him  ?  No  such  thing.  Then 
the  timber  is  taken  to  the  place  for  the  erection 
of  the  building,  and  framed  into  it,  and  pinned 
in.  And  do  you  think  it  can  get  out  again  ? 
I  tell  you  no.  Jesus  Christ  has  said,  '  None 
shall  pluck  them  out  of  my  hands,  and  my  Fa- 
ther is  greater  than  I,  and  no  man  shall  be  able 
to  pluck  them  out  of  my  Father's  hands  ;  and 
they  shall  never  perish' "  This  he  said  with  a 
peculiarly  triumphant  gusto.  Thus,  according 
to  his  plan,  the  great  "  spiritual  temple  "  of  the 
Lord  was  being  built  by  God's  sovereign  and 
electing  grace. 

At  the  noon  recess  he  sought  an  introduction 
to  me,  and  invited  me  to  preach  the  afternoon 
sermon,  saying,  "  They  have  heard  one  side  this 
morning,  let  them  have  the  other  side  this  after- 
noon." I  thought  it  a  strange  request,  and 
feared  he  sought  a  quarrel  on  doctrinal  matters. 
Young  as  I  was  I  dreaded  to  preach  under  such 
circumstances,  and  delayed  to  answer  till  I 
had  consulted  some  of  my  own  Church-mem- 
bers present.  By  their  advice  I  consented,  and 
preached  on  "  the  other  side,"  the  Methodist  side. 
My  subject  was  that  of  "a  living,  active  faith, 
and  its  experimental  and  practical  fruits."  The 
Lord  graciously  helped  me  to  preach  a  warm 


io6  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

• 

and  earnest  sermon.  TJhe  old  Calvinist  pastor 
and  others  followed  with  strong  indorsements 
of  the  sermon,  and  with  warm  exhortations. 
The  forenoon  sermon  was  not  made  the  theme 
of  the  afternoon,  as  some  hoped  and  others 
feared.  The  people  saw  that  "the  other,"  the 
Methodist,  "side"  was  a  contention  for  a  relig- 
ion "  which  is  first  pure,  then  peaceable,  without 
partiality,  and  without  hypocrisy,  full  of  mercy 
and  good  fruits."  Such  old  Calvinistic  ideas 
are  now  seldom  repeated  either  by  the  modern 
press  or  pulpit,  though  still  the  comparatively 
silent  belief  of  some. 

OPPOSITION    TO    METHODIST    CHURCH    POLITY 

SECESSIONS. 

Severe  attacks  were  often  made  upon  our 
Church  government  forty  years  ago.  Seces- 
sions from  the  Church  had  already  taken  place, 
resulting  in  the  organization  of  the  "  Reformed 
Methodist  Church "  and  of  the  "  Protestant 
Methodist  Church."  These  seceders  were  with 
us  in  doctrine,  but  very  strenuously  opposed 
to  our  episcopacy  and  Church  government, 
especially  our  lack  of  the  lay  element,  in  our 
Annual  and  General  Conferences.  The  mis- 
named "  Boston  Olive  Branch "  employed  pens 
dipped  "in  the  bitterest  gall,"  and  sent  out  its 


Opposition  to  Doctrines  and  Usages.      107 

weekly  slanders.  "  The  History  and  Mystery 
of  Methodist  Episcopacy,"  -by  one  Alexander 
McCaine — a  scurrilous  attack  upon  our  Church 
— was  freely  circulated.  Dr.  Thomas  E.  Bond, 
an  able  writer,  and  others  wrote  much  in  our 
defense.  Dr.  John  Emory,  afterward  Bishop, 
came  out  with  the  "  Defense  of  Our  Fathers," 
against  the  unjust  accusations  of  McCaine. 
These  controversies,  though  occurring  in  1827 
and  1828,  had  their  influence  forty  years  ago, 
and  Bishop  Emory's  "  Defense "  was  repub- 
lished  in  1835.  The  Church,  in  those  days, 
stood  strong  against  any  innovation  of  her  pol- 
ity. The  time  had  not  then  come  for  a  favor- 
able verdict  for  lay  representation. 

OPPOSITION  TO  OUR  SUNDAY-SCHOOL,  BIBLE,  AND 

TRACT    SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS     SEPARATE 

FROM  THE  AMERICAN   SOCIETY,  SO  CALLED. 

The  organization  of  the  "  Methodist  Sunday- 
School  Society,"  separate  from  the  "American," 
rendered  it  necessary  for  our  people  to  supply 
our  own  schools  with  suitable  books  from  the 
Methodist  press.  But,  as  Bibles  and  Testa- 
ments were  published  by  the  "American  Bible 
Society,"  professedly  for  all  denominations  alike, 
the  "  Methodist  Episcopal  Church "  asked  the 
"Young  Men's  Bible  Society  of  New  York," 


io8  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now, 

constituted  expressly  to. supply  needy  Sunday- 
schools  gratuitously,  to  supply  the  Methodist 
schools  as  they  did  others.  The  request  was 
rejected  on  the  plea  that  ours  were  sectarian 
schools !  This  rendered  it  necessary,  in  order 
to  supply  our  schools  with  the  word  of  life,  to 
organize  the  "  Bible  Society  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church/'  which  being  done  created 
no  little  opposition  from  various  quarters. 

Methodist  literature,  which  up  to  this  time 
had  been  considered  in  the  background,  was 
now  brought  into  public  notice  by  the  publica- 
tion of  the  "Christian  Advocate,"  and  the  issue 
from  our  Book  Room  of  "  Wesley's  Sermons," 
"Clarke's  Commentaries,"  "The  Methodist 
Magazine,"  and  numerous  Tracts  of  a  doctrinal, 
practical,  and  experimental  character,  and  by 
the  continual  augmentation  of  books  on  a  va- 
riety of  subjects,  together  with  the  increasing 
prosperity  of  Methodist  missions,  which  seemed 
to  awaken  the  attention  of  others,  and  to  call 
forth  strictures  upon  our  doctrines  and  general 
economy  of  such  a  character  as  to  call  for  self- 
defense. 

There  seemed  to  have  been  a  combined  effort 
on  the  part  of  other  sects  to  destroy,  if  possible, 
the  influence  of  Methodism.  Calvinistic  editors 
in  different  parts  of  the  country,  almost  simul- 


Opposition  to  Doctrines  and  Usages.       109 

taneously,  uttered  the  same  language  against  this 
rising  people,  without  mitigating  their  severity 
by  acknowledging  even  any  good  accomplished 
by  them. 

Dr.  Adam  Clarke  was  accused  of  introducing 
into  his  "Commentary"  "unauthorized  criti- 
cisms upon  the  original  text."  Wesley  was 
accused  in  his  "  Notes  on  the  New  Testament " 
of  mutilating  the  sacred  text  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  make  "  nonsense  of  the  plainest  texts  in 
the  Bible."  These  foolish  accusations,  though 
severe,  were  such  as  the  books  themselves,  by 
being  critically  and  candidly  read,  would  anni- 
hilate. Methodist  ministers'  characters  were 
ungenerously  assailed,  by  calling  in  question 
their  integrity. 

It  was  stated  in  some  quarters  that  Method- 
ism had  an  immense  fund  at  her  command,  by 
which  her  ministers  were  supported  independ- 
ently of  the  people ;  and  that  these  funds  were 
so  dexterously  managed  that  the  Methodist 
people  themselves  did  not  know  either  their 
extent  or  application,  they  being  kept  in  igno- 
rance by  "cunningly  devised  artifices." 

This  accusation  was  promptly  met  by  facts. 
It  was  demonstrated  that  all  the  profits  derived 
from  the  "  Book  Concern  "  and  the  "  Chartered 
Fund" — the  only  funds  of  the  Church — did  not 


no  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

yield  over  three  dollars  a  year  to  each  claimant ; 
and  that  the  superannuated  and  supernumer- 
ary preachers,  and  the  widows  and  orphans  of 
preachers,  who  were  the  legal  claimants  of  these 
funds,  did  not  receive — including  all  voluntary 
contributions — over  twenty-five,  fifty,  or  seven- 
ty-five per  cent,  of  their  "  Disciplinary  Claims," 
which  was  one  hundred  dollars  for  such  preacher 
or  widow,  and  not  over  twenty-four  dollars  per 
year  for  each  dependent  child. 

Another  complaint  brought  against  the  Meth- 
odists was  their  manner  of  holding  Church 
property.  It  was  alleged  that  it  was  deeded  to 
the  General  Conference,  and  that  the  Methodist 
laity  had  no  control  of  it.  To  this  it  was  re- 
plied, that  the  statement  was  false  at  every 
point  ;  that  instead  of  being  secured  to  the 
conference,  and  therefore  the  property  of  the 
preachers,  it  was  held  by  trustees  appointed  by 
the  people,  where  the  laws  of  the  States  in 
which  it  was  located  provided  for  that  manner 
of  appointment,  and  in  other  places  as  the  Dis- 
cipline directed,  that  is,  by  trustees,  for  the  use 
of  the  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  that  place. 

It  was  claimed  by  our  opponents  that  our 
Church  government  was  not  only  unscriptural, 
but  set  up  and  vindicated  in  "contempt  of  script- 


,       Opposition  to  Doctrines  and  Usages.      1 1 1 

ure  authority"  *  This  led  to  a  scriptural  defense 
of  our  .Church  government,  our  itinerancy,  and 
general  method  of  conducting  affairs,  by  various 
able  Methodist  writers. 


"  AMERICAN    HOME    MISSIONS  "    AND    THE    "  MIS- 
SISSIPPI   VALLEY." 

The  controversy  in  regard  to  the  "  American 
Home  Missionary  Society "  and  the  "  moral 
destitution  "  of  the  West,  and  especially  that  of 
the  "  Great  Mississippi  Valley,"  was  still  agi- 
tating the  public  mind,  though  it  had  been  the 
"  bone  of  contention  "  from  the  year  1826,  when 
the  said  society  was  organized  by  the  union  of 
the  "  Presbyterian,"  "  Dutch  Reformed,"  and 
"  Congregationalist "  Churches,  with  the  avowed 
intention  of  filling  up  the  "  waste  places  of 
Zion,"  and  establishing  Churches  which  should 
adopt  the  Church  polity  of  either  denomination, 
in  accordance  with  the  preferences  of  the  peo- 
ple composing  the  Church  thus  gathered.  Their 
agents  had  been,  and  were  then,  going  among 
all  the  people  to  whom  they  could  gain  access, 
and  gathering  funds  to  promote  its  objects. 
Its  patrons  gave  it  the  name  of  the  "  National 
Society"  The  people  were  misguided  by  this 
appellation,  as  it  was  far  from  embracing  all 


112  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now.     , 

evangelical  Christian  Churches,  or  even  a  ma- 
jority of  them.  The  Methodists  and  the  Bap- 
tists were  not  included,  though  each  were  more 
numerous  than  either  of  the  aforesaid  denomi- 
nations. The  "  Episcopalians,"  the  "  Luther- 
ans," and  several  other  denominations,  were  not 
embraced  in  it,  and  yet  it  was  called  "  national" 
To  this  the  Methodists  properly  uttered  their 
decided  protest.  More  than  this,  "  the  moral 
wastes  of  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi  "  were  so 
fearfully  reported  by  agents  and  official  report- 
ers, and  such  alarming  descriptions  of  those 
sections  were  given,  as  greatly  excited  the  friends 
of  Christianity.  Thrilling  notes  of  complaint 
were  echoed  from  one  end  of  the  continent  to 
the  other  about  the  "  uneducated  ministers," 
"  incompetent  ministers,"  and  so  on,  of  that 
great  valley,  and  the  people,  in  strains  of  mourn- 
ful eloquence,  appealed  to  for  aid  in  such  ear- 
nestness as  to  give  great  alarm.  Said  Dr.  Ly- 
man  Beecher,  the  father  of  the  Beechers,  "  The 
nation  must  arise  and  save  itself  by  its  own  en- 
ergies. The  trumpet  must  sound  long  and 
loud ;  the  press  must  groan,  and  utter  in  the 
ears  of  our  countrymen  the  story  of  their  mis- 
eries, or  the  nation  is  undone."  This  note  of 
alarm,  sounded  by  Dr.  Beecher,  continued  to 
roll  through  the  whole  country,  until  the  doleful 


Opposition  to  Doctrines  and  Usages.      113 

ditty  of  the  "  moral  destitution  of  the  great  val- 
ley "  reverberated  from  hill  to  valley  with  sick- 
ening repetition. 

Now,  what  were  the  facts  pertaining  to  that 
same  "  moral  waste?"  At  the  very  time  when 
these  alarms  were  sounding  through  the  length 
and  breadth  of  our  land  various  denominations 
of  evangelical  Christians  had  good  and  prosper- 
ous Churches  there.  Our  own  Church  at  that 
very  time,  had  seven  annual  conferences  in  the 
valley,  between  five  and  six  hundred  traveling 
preachers,  and  twice  this  number  of  local 
preachers  ;  and  her  Church-membership  there 
was  more  than  one  hundred  and  thirty  thousand. 

That  there  was  a  call  for  additional  aid  there 
can  be  no  reasonable  doubt ;  but  to  call  other  min- 
isters than  their  own  "  incompetent"  " uneducat- 
ed" or  "  inefficient"  was,  to  say  the  least,  not  agree- 
able to  those  thus  dishonored.  Indeed,  in  many 
of  these  reports  there  seemed  to  be  an  effort  to 
depreciate  those  who  had  labored  long  and  suc- 
cessfully in  those  parts  represented  as  "  moral 
wastes." 

The  Methodist  Church,  very  properly,  resented 
these  unjust  representations,  and  in  her  own 
official  organ,  the  "  Christian  Advocate,"  suc- 
ceeded in  a  few  years,  by  an  honest  exhibit  of 

facts,  in  disabusing' the  public  mind  to  a  great 
8 


1 14  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

extent  on  the  subject ;  but  its  influence  was 
felt  for  many  years  after. 

We  often  heard  that  old  echo,  "  The  great 
moral  waste  ! "  "  The  moral  destitution  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley  !  "  "  Uneducated  and  incom- 
petent ministers  ! "  The  facts  which  were 
elicited  by  this  state  of  things,  of  the  numerical 
strength  of  Methodism  in  that  great  valley  and 
elsewhere,  were  creditable  to  our  Church,  but 
damaging  to  the  official  agents  and  reporters  of 
the  "American  Home  Missionary  Society." 

THE   TEMPERANCE    QUESTION. 

The  American  Temperance  Society  forty 
years  ago  was  doing  much  good — exerting  a 
powerful  influence  on  the  bodies  and  souls  of 
our  countrymen.  It  had  been  in  active  opera- 
tion since  1826.  Our  Church  at  first  took  a 
position,  through  her  official  organ  and  many 
of  her  leading  men,  which  was  somewhat  an- 
tagonistic to  the  American  Society  in  some  of 
its  measures,  though  intending  to  advocate  the 
practice  of  abstinence  in  her  membership,  her 
stringent  General  Rules  requiring  that  they 
shall  avoid  evil  of  every  kind,  and  prohibit- 
ing especially  "  drunkenness,  buying  or  selling 
spirituous  liquors,  or  drinking  them,  unless  in 


Opposition  to  Doctrines  and  Usages.  •    115 

cases  of  necessity."  Our  position  on  the  sub- 
ject-being misunderstood,  no  little  uneasiness 
was  created  and  much  earnest  discussion  elicited. 
The  Methodists  took  the  ground  that  this  gen- 
eral rule  of  our  Church  already  made  our  peo- 
ple members  of  a  total  abstinence  society,  and 
that  to  come  into  the  measures  of  the  American 
Society  would  be  a  virtual  acknowledgment 
that  our  Church,  as  such,  needed  to  be  reformed. 

Another  objection  to  the  American  Society 
was,  that  it  proposed  to  raise  the  sum  of  $20,000 
as  a  permanent  fund Tor  the  support  of  an  agent 
or  agents,  who  should  be  exclusively  devoted  to 
the  temperance  cause  ;  which  proposition  our 
people  did  not  think  expedient,  preferring  the 
plan  of  raising  the  money  for  necessary  ex- 
penses when  it  should  be  needed. 

This  position  created  some  heart-burnings  on 
both  sides,  and  elicited  no  little  discussion  ;  but 
it  brought  to  light  facts  which  had  been  con- 
cealed before.  Though  unchanged  in  regard  to 
the  financial  policy  of  the  American  Society, 
it  was  found  that  the  stringent  rule  of  the  Dis- 
cipline of  the  Church  had  been  so  softened 
down  in  the  minds  of  some  that  it  had  (in  their 
view)  become  a  dead-letter,  and  that  they  were 
in  the  habitual  daily  practice  of  drinking,  and 
others  of  selling,  intoxicating  liquors,  as  was 


1 1 6   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

then  too  commonly  practiced  by  other  professed 
Christians.  This  led  to  important  results.  Our 
people  saw  the  necessity  of  temperance  pledges 
and  of  temperance  societies,  and  (to  the  great 
profit  and  edification  of  the  Church  and  the 
cause  of  God  generally)  entered  into  the  work 
and  measures  of  the  temperance  cause. 

This  reference  here  made  to  the  financial 
plan  for  permanent  funds  and  paid  agents  of  the 
society,  and  Methodist  opposition  thereto,  re- 
minds me  of  the  strife  created  on  this  ground 
forty  years  ago  on  the  first  circuit  I  traveled 
after  joining  conference.  In  our  temperance 
efforts  of  that  year  some  proposed  to  our  people 
to  join  in  the  cause  on  the  plan  of  the  American 
Society's  financial  polity.  Though  our  people 
were  as  earnest  advocates  of  total  abstinence 
as  any  others,  yet  our  preacher  in  charge  and 
many  of  his  members  strenuously  opposed  the 
measure.  This  resulted  in  the  formation  of 
two  distinct  societies — one  auxiliary  to  the 
American,  and  the  other  an  independent  one — 
and  between  the  two  there  was  but  little  fel- 
lowship or  co-operation. 

Such  controversies  and  strifes,  however,  in  a 
few  years  passed  away,  and  all  the  friends  of 
the  cause  entered  heartily  into  this  much-needed 
reform  with  great  unanimity.  Our  Methodist 


Opposition  to  Doctrines  and  Usages.      117 

people  are  now,  and  for  the  past  twenty  years 
and  more  have  been,  the  vanguard  in  the  great 
temperance  army.  These  are  some  of  the  con- 
troversies which  Methodism  had  to  grapple  with, 
coming  from  outside  influences,  in  days  gone 
by,  of  which  many  of  our  youthful  readers  have 
had  but  little  knowledge. 

Other  false  theories  were  common  in  those 
days,  but  they  were  not  directed  against  our 
doctrines  and  usages  more  than  against  other 
evangelical  Churches.  Among  these  were  Uni- 
versalism  and  open  infidelity.  These  fallacious 
and  soul-destroying  sentiments  were  perhaps 
about  equally  opposed  by  all  evangelical  Church- 
es. These  old  heresies  have  now  taken  other 
forms  of  error,  and  appear  under  the  name 
"  Free  Religion,"  the  elastic  bands  of  which  are 
so  extended  as  to  take  in  what  are  called  "  Lib- 
eral Christianity,"  "  Spiritualism,"  "  Free-lov- 
ism,"  "  Free  Thinkers,"  and  so  on. 

The  old  Calvinistic  ideas,  if  held  at  all,  are 
now  resting  in  the  shade,  seldom  advocated  in 
public  or  elsewhere  in  the  light  of  day.  "Apos- 
tolic succession "  and  its  consequent  claims, 
though  still  the  faith  of  most  Churchmen,  are 
not  now  in  the  way  of  our  progress,  our  people 
having  ceased  to  feel  the  force  of  their  attacks 
against  our  doctrines  and  usages, 


1 1 8   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

Lay  Representation  has  now  become  the  pol- 
icy of  our  Church.  Seceders  from  her  have 
mainly  laid  down  their  weapons  of  warfare. 
The  American  Bible  Society  is  now  equally 
ours  with  all  other  Christian  denominations, 
and  receives  our  hearty  support.  God  is  with 
us,  leading  this  "  sacramental  host "  on  to  cer- 
tain victory.  May  nothing  transpire  to  dampen 
the  prospect ! 

CONTROVERSIES  ON  UNIVERSALISM— ANECDOTES. 

The  writer  has  referred  to  the  popular  theory 
of  universal  salvation,  which  once  had  extensive 
influence  in  our  country.  Our  ministers  had 
to  meet  this  doctrine  in  those  days,  perhaps, 
more  frequently  than  preachers  of  other  de- 
nominations, inasmuch  as  their  itinerant  system 
brought  them  oftener  into  such  contact.  The 
young  reader  may  be  aided  in  his  estimate  of 
some  of  the  controversies  of  those  days  by  the 
following  anecdotes,  which  we  will  here  record, 
more  for  the  shrewdness  of  some  of  our  older 
preachers  than  for  their  modesty  or  politeness. 

On  my  first  circuit,  after  joining  conference, 
the  following  story  was  often  repeated.  A  cer- 
tain Universalist  minister  of  note  had  by  pre- 
vious appointment  brought  together  a  large  au- 
dience to  hear  his  arguments  against  the  doc- . 


Opposition  to  Doctrines  and  Usages.      1 19 

trine  of  the  endless  punishment  of  the  wicked. 
Among  others  several  Methodist  ministers  at- 
tended, one  of  whom  was  the  eccentric,  blunt, 
but  talented  Rev.  J.  W.  Hardy,  presiding  elder 
of  the  district.  The  Universalist,  in  a  flowery 
and  flippant  manner,  but  with  shallow  argu- 
ments, sought  to  annihilate  all  the  arguments 
of  opponents  of  his  doctrine.  When  through 
he  said,  "  I  perceive  there  are  several  clergy- 
men present.  I  shall  be  pleased  to  hear  them 
speak  on'  the  subject  I  have  presented."  All 
refused  but  Father  Hardy,  who  began  in  his 
peculiar  manner  of  voice  and  gestures,  more 
easily  imitated  than  transferred  to  paper  with 
pen  and  ink,  and  tore  the  arguments  of  the  ser- 
mon into  shreds,  to  the  great  chagrin  of  some, 
and  the  equal  satisfaction  of  others. 

Then  the  first  speaker  again  arose  and  said, 
"The  arguments  of  the  gentleman  who  has  just 
addressed  you  are  not  relevant  to  the  subject. 
He  has  not  touched  my  main  points  of  argu- 
ment, and  I  hope  that  the  people  will  not  be 
influenced  by  what  the  reverend  speaker  has 
said." 

Father  Hardy  was  soon  again  on  his  feet, 
and  related  this  cutting  story  :  "  A  certain  old 
negro  was  walking  the  highway  one  day,  and 
passing  a  flock  of  geese,  the  old  gander  got  up 


120   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

and  stuck  out  his  neck,  and  running  after  him, 
quacked  and  quacked  at  him.  The  negro  caught 
him,  and  wrung  his  neck  for  him,  and  threw 
him  down  in  a  mud-puddle;  and  what  did  the 
old  gander  do  but  jump  up  again,  and,  sticking 
out  his  bill,  again  quacked  out,  '  I've  beat,  I've 
beat,  I've  beat.'".  The  effect  on  the  audience 
can  be  better  imagined  than  described.  The 
story  has  often  been  repeated  for  these  past 
forty  years  in  that  town  and  all  the  regions 
round  about,  and  will  be  doubtless  handed 
down  to  posterity  by  those  it  pleases,  and  by 
some  who  condemn  its  uncouthness. 

Universalists  of  those  days  had  a  great  deal 
to  say  against  the  idea  of  a  "personal  devil," 
and  our  preachers  often  came  in  contact  with 
this  sentiment,  and  had  a  short-hand  method 
of  disposing  of  their  arguments.  Illustra- 
tion :  When  on  my  first  circuit,  after  joining 
conference,  I  went  with  my  preacher  in  charge 
to  the  Universalist  minister,  a  man  in  high  re- 
pute among  his  own  people,  and  invited  him  to 
join  with  us  in  a  certain  Christian  benevolent 
enterprise  in  town.  He  objected  on  account 
of  our  difference  in  doctrinal  points,  and  named 
in  particular  the  belief  of  Methodists  and  other 
orthodox  people  in  the  personality  of  the  devil. 
The  Methodist  replied,  "The  Saviour  himself 


Opposition  to  Doctrines  and  Usages.      121 

was  tempted  by  the  devil."  To  which  the  Uni- 
versalist  responded,  "  There  is  no  devil  but  hu- 
man nature  to  tempt  people,  and  Christ  was 
tempted  by  his  own  nature."  "  Then,"  said  the 
Methodist  preacher,  "you  believe  Christ  had 
the  devil  in  him,  do  you?"  He  answered  in 
substance,  "  He  possessed  a  human  nature,  and 
was  tempted  by  it."  Said  the  other,  "  I  think 
I  understand  you,  then,  that  Christ  had  the  devil 
in  him."  His  reply  was,  "If  you  report  me  I 
do  not  want  to  be  reported  in  that  light.'' 
"Very  well,"  said  the  Methodist,  "I  shall  be 
glad  to  hear  you  make  any  explanation  which 
will  relieve  you."  He  undertook  it,  but  with 
no  satisfaction  to  us  or  relief  to  himself.  The 
interview  ended  by  the  reply  of  the  brother 
Methodist :  "  It  is  all  plain,  I  see,  that  you  say 
our  blessed  Saviour  had  the  devil  in  him."  We 
soon  parted,  but  our  clerical  friend  didn't  seem 
to  enjoy  -his  mind  very  well. 


FRATERNAL  RELATIONS  OF  THE  METHODIST 
EPISCOPAL  CHURCH  WITH  OTHER  EVANGEL- 
ICAL CHURCHES. 

Methodism  began  in  America  under  one  or- 
ganization. This  unity  continued  only  from 
1766,  when  Philip  Embury  formed  the  first 


122   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

class  in  New  York  city,  which  consisted  of  five 
members,  to  the  year  1792,  when  James  O'Kel- 
ley,  a  popular  preacher  in  Virginia,  led  off  by 
secession  a  portion  of  the  Church,  and  formed 
what  was  called  "The  Republican  Methodist 
Church,"  afterward  called  "The  Christian 
Church."  * 

Other  secessions  occurred  from  time  to  time 
from  various  causes,  resulting  in  separate  Church 
organizations,  so  that  in  1832  there  were  "  The 
Reformed  Methodist  Church,"  "  The  Protestant 
Methodist  Church,"  "The  African  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,"  "  The  African  Methodist 
Episcopal  Zion  Church,"  "  The  Canada  Wes- 
leyan  Methodist "  and  "  Canada  Episcopal 
Methodist "  Churches.  In  none  of  these  or- 
ganizations were  there  any  doctrinal  differences. 
But  differences  arose  on  Church  polity,  causing 
serious  alienations  among  the  so-called  "  O'Kel- 
ley  party,"  the  Reformers,  and  the  Methodist 
Protestants.  The  prejudice  against  color,  and 
the  alienations  caused  thereby,  produced  the 
"  African  Methodist "  organizations  ;  and  the 
separation  by  the  national  boundary  line  the 
Canadian  organizations.  Though  these  separate 
organizations,  taken  separately  or  collectively, 
were  small  compared  with  the  Parent  Church, 

*  See  Bangs'  History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


Opposition  to  Doctrines  and  Usages.      123 

yet  there  was  a  break  in  the  unity  of  Method-  ' 
ism  in  America  which  was  deeply  regretted  by 
most  lovers   of  true   Church   harmony.     With 
some  of  these  Churches  there  was  no  official 
reciprocal  connection. 

Our  General  Conference  held  only  fraternal 
relations,  officially,  with  the  "  English  Wesleyan 
Methodist  Conference."  They  sent  their  "  Fra- 
ternal Delegates  "  to  us,  and,  in  return,  our  Con- 
ference sent  ours  to  them,  who  on  either  side 
were  most  cordially  received  and  honorably 
treated. 

Denominational  Churches  of  other  names, 
and  of  opposite  doctrinal  views  as  well  as  pol- 
ity, held  n6  official  cordial  relations  with  our 
Church.  Old  doctrinal  controversies,  misrep- 
resentations of  our  doctrines  and  usages  by  our 
enemies,  and  sectarian  jealousies,  kept  them 
from  any  hearty  and  friendly  co-operation  with 
the  Methodist  denomination. 

How  different  the  fraternal  unity  manifested 
in  the  General  Conference  of  1872  !  Fraternal 
delegates  came  to  this  ecclesiastical  council  of 
our  Church  from  "  The  English  Wesleyan," 
"  The  Wesleyan  Irish,"  "  The  Wesleyan  Meth- 
odist "  of  Canada,  "  The  Methodist  Episcopal 
Canadian,"  "  The  Wesleyan  Methodist  East 
British,"  "The  Protestant  Methodist,"  "The 


1 24   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

Methodist  Church"  Conferences,  and  -"The 
Evangelical  German  "  Methodist  "  Association." 

In  addition  to  these  representatives  from  these 
various  branches  of  Methodist  Churches  of  va- 
rious names,  there  were  fraternal  delegates 
from  "  The  Presbyterian  General  Assembly," 
"  The  Congregational  Church,"  various  "  Baptist 
Churches,"  "  The  Free  Church  of  Italy,"  and 
from  several  other  religious*  bodies,  each  extend- 
ing to  our  Church  the  right-hand  of  fellowship. 

Their  hearty  reception  by  the  General  Con- 
ference, their  words  of  congratulation,  the 
friendly  salutations  they  brought  from  the  dif- 
ferent Churches  they  represented,  the  re- 
sponses given  to  them,  and  the  appointment 
of  "  Fraternal  Delegates  "  by  the  Conference  to 
extend  our  friendly  greeting  in  return,  all  show 
the  progress  which  is  being  made  toward  the 
much-to-be-desired  Christian  unity  of  the 
Churches.  Even  preliminary  plans  were  made 
by  our  Church  in  that  Conference  for  a  friendly 
correspondence  with  the  alienated  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  South,  and  the  prospect  has 
never  appeared  better  for  the  unification  of 
American  Methodism  since  the  different  sepa- 
rations occurred  than  at  this  time. 

Old  prejudices  are  melting  away.  The  dif- 
ferent Church  organizations  of  evangelical  Prot- 


Opposition  to  Doctrines  and  Usages.      125 

estantism  are  learning  to  embrace  each  other 
with  unity  in  the  essentials  of  Christianity,  with 
liberty  to  differ  in  non-essentials,  and  in  all 
things  to  exercise  that  "  charity  which  is  the 
bond  of  perfectness." 


126  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Woman's  "Work  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 


m~*  ETHODISM,  from  its  origin,  has  given 
to  woman  a  sphere  of  Christian  effort 
and    influence    superior    to    any   other 
Church  organization  since  the  days  of  primitive 
Christianity,  and  has   continued  to  open  new 
fields  to  her  for  the  use  of  her  Christian  capa- 
bilities as  few  Churches  now  afford  or  venture 
to  allow. 

Heathenism  has  ever  degraded  woman  ;  but 
Christianity,  "  pure  and  undefiled,"  has  ever  ex- 
alted her,  mentally,  socially,  and  morally.  But 
by  misinterpretation  of  those  Scriptures  which 
refer  to  her  sphere  in  the  Church,  and  too  much 
after  the  manner  of  heathen  nations,  she  has 
been  placed  far  below  the  level  of  "  the  lords 
of  creation  "  in  regard  to  her  right  of  public 
oral  testimony  for  her  Lord  and  Master.  Her 
lips  have  been  sealed  from  such  testimony  -in 
the  presence  of  men. 


Woman's  Work  in  the  Church.          127 

Methodism  has  opened  her  once  sealed  lips 
and  bade  her  voice  be  heard  in  living  testimo- 
nies of  Christ,  and  employed  her  capabilities 
in  various  appropriate  missions  of  mercy  and 
love.  We  remember  having  heard  her  voice 
in  prayer  and  exhortation  in  our  youthful 
days. 

Forty  years  ago  she  was  always  heard  in  our 
social  meetings.  Often  in  our  public  assemblies 
she  bore  her  faithful  testimony  for  her  Lord. 
Though  seldom  did  she  stand  in  "  the  sacred 
desk,"  yet  in  various  ways,  like  the  Marys  of 
old,  did  she  proclaim  to  the  people  a  crucified 
and  risen  Saviour. 

Since  then  woman's  sphere  of  influence  has 
been  increasing,  and  new  fields  of  usefulness 
for  her  have  been  multiplying.  Old  prejudices 
have  been  dying  out  among  other  religious 
sects,  so  that  in  some  churches,  where  once  her 
voice  was  silenced,  she  has  now  the  privilege  of 
being  Christ's  oral  witness  to  the  people  of  his 
saving  grace. 

Among  Methodists  she  receives  a  cordial 
welcome,  when  fitted  "  by  gifts,  grace,  and  use- 
fulness," into  our  pulpits  as  a  helper  in  the 
Gospel  ministry.  She  finds  appropriate  work 
at  our  altars  in  pleading  with  God  for  im- 
mortal souls,  and  on  the  platform  in  earnest 


128  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

pleadings  with  the  people  for  their  co-operation 
in  the  various  great  enterprises  of  Christian 
benevolence  in  which  the  Church  is  enlisted. 
She  finds  some  of  these  new  openings  brought 
into  organic  form,  where  she  is  more  specially 
recognized,  socially  and  officially.  Among 
these  are  "The  Ladies'  and  Pastors'  Christian 
Union,"  and  "  The  Woman's  Foreign  Mission- 
ary Society." 

The  recent  General  Conference  has,  offi- 
cially, uttered  the  voice  of  Methodism  in  the 
following 

REPORT  OF  THE  COMMITTEE  ON   "WOMAN'S  WORK 
IN  THE  CHURCH." 

"Your  Committee  have  had  before  them  sev- 
eral papers  on  the  work  of  women  in  the 
Church.  The  subject  which  these  papers  pre- 
sent are  such  as  the  licensing  and  ordaining 
of  women  as  preachers,  'The  Ladies'  and  Pas- 
tors' Christian  Union,'  'The  Woman's  Foreign 
Missionary  Society,'  and  propositions  for  the  en- 
largement of  Christian  and  benevolent  activity. 

"  We  can  but  rejoice  in  these  manifestations 
of  increasing  interest  on  the  part  of  women  in 
all  that  pertains  to  the  activity  of  the  Church, 
and  are  devoutly  thankful  for  this  fresh  awaken- 
ing of  zeal  for  Christian  work. 


Woman  s  Work  in  the  Church.          129 

"  It  has  ever  been  characteristic  of  Methodism 
to  welcome  to  the  Church  all  available  agencies 
for  carrying  forward  the  Redeemer's  kingdom, 
and  for  the  salvation  of  souls.  From  the  begin- 
ning, also,  the  Methodist  Church  has  recognized 
and  used  the  peculiar  capabilities  of  women  ;  in 
every  period  of  our  history  women  have  been 
active  counselors  with  men  in  the  service  of  the 
Church,  and  in  not  a  few  instances  have  been 

• 

recognized  leaders  in  important  movements. 
Many  names  of  Christian  heroines  adorn  the 
pages  of  our  Church  history. 

"  These  recent  manifestations  of  a  desire  for 
activity  for  Christ  are  not  a  novelty,  but  a  re~ 
vival  of  the  true  spirit  of  Methodism,  in  which 
we  greatly  rejoice,  and  from  -which  we  expect 
the  most  happy  results.  More  than  two  thirds 

of  the   members  of  the   Church   are  women. 

• 

That  they  have  a  place  and  a  work  in  the 
Church  is  not  doubted,  but  to  define  and  desig- 
nate the  exact  character  and  fields  of  their  labor 
is  not  an  easy  matter. 

"  In  this  as  in  most  other  interests  of  the 
Church  important  questions  are  gradually  set- 
tling themselves,  and  Providence  is  itself  point- 
ing out  large  and  important  fields  which  can 
be  most  efficiently  occupied  by  women,  and 

into  which  we  find  the  noblest  spirits  are  vig- 
9 


130  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

orously  entering.  Our  women  are  already  far 
on  toward  leading  the  advance  in  the  actual 
work  of  the  Sabbath-school,  our  Home  and 
City  Missions,  in  the  distribution  of  tracts, 
and  in  the  visitation  of  the  poor  and  neglected 
masses. 

"  Recently  God  has  directed  their  hearts  to- 
ward their  sisters  of  foreign  countries,  and  a 
most  successful  organization  has  been  effected 
for  aiding  in  the  evangelization  of  heathen  lands. 
For  these  fields  of  labor  they  have  peculiar  capa- 
bilities, and  we  rejoice  that  the  Divine  Spirit  is 
leading  their  hearts  earnestly  into  them. 

"In  regard  to  woman's  preaching,  we  must 
wait  the  further  developments  of  Providence. 
We  rejoice  in  indications  that  women  are  called 
to  be  teachers  of  the  Word  of  Life,  and  yet 
the  instances  are  not  sufficiently  numerous  to 
justify  any  new  legislation  in  the  Church  on 
this  subject. 

"  We  commend  the  '  Woman's  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society'  and  'The  Ladies'  and  Pastors' 
Christian  Union'  as  two  organizations  worthy 
of  the  highest  gifts  and  noblest  efforts.  We 
exhort  the  women  of  the  Church  to  still  greater 
zeal  in  the  Sunday-school,  the  class-room,  the 
prayer-meetings,  and  the  love-feasts,  and  in  the 
evangelization  of  the  masses. 


Woman 's  Work  in  the  Church.          131 

"We  exhort  our  preachers  also  to  give  all 
wise,  discreet  encouragement  they  can  to  the 
exercise  and  development  of  the  gifts  which 
God  has  bestowed  on  our  sisters  for  the  further- 
ance of  his  kingdom  on  the  earth." 

Such  are  the  new  organic  spheres  now  open 
for  her  usefulness  in  our  Church,  which  man 
cannot  as  successfully  occupy.  She  can  go  to 
the  poor  and  needy  with  her  messages  of  mer- 
cy— to  the  degraded  of  her  sex  with  her  gentle 
pleadings  for  reform — to  the  despised  and  neg- 
lected with  the  words  of  encouragement  and 
deeds  of  kindness — and  to  lands  of  heathen 
darkness,  where  woman  is  down-trodden  and 
degraded,  and  find  access  to  those  of  her  sex 
from  whom  our  male  missionaries  are  utterly 
excluded,  and  teach  her  the  way  to  heaven. 

Great  as  may  be  the  sacrifices  and  imminent 
the  perils  of  her  mission,  her  faith  and  heroism 
are  equal  to  the  demand.  Under  the.  all-sus- 
taining power  and  exalting  influences  of  grace, 
she  shall  be  more  than  conqueror.  At  home, 
she  can  employ  her  social  influence,  her  voice 
and  pen  in  pleading  with  and  for  her  sex  that 
the  glorious  Gospel,  which  is  free  for  all,  and 
can  "  save  to  the  uttermost  all  who  come  unto 
him,"  may  become  to  all  her  kind  "  a  savor  of 


132  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

life  unto  life."  Such  sacrifices  and  offerings, 
with  her  fervent  prayers  of  faith,  will  prove  as 
pleasing  to  her  Lord  as  did  the  "  precious  oint- 
ment" poured  upon  his  head  by  the  humble 
Mary  of  old,  and  her  noble  deeds  shall  be 
"  spoken  of  as  a  memorial  of  her  wherever  the 
Gospel'  shall  be  preached." 


Sunday- Sch  cols.  133 


CHAPTER  XI. 
Methodism  and  Sunday-Schools. 

fuNDAY-SCHOOLS  forty  years  ago,com- 
.  pared  with  our  numerical  strength  as  a 
Church,  were  quite  numerous  among  our 
people,  and  many  of  them  were  very  prosper- 
ous. They  were  sustained  in  nearly  each  of  the 
places  where  we  had  Sabbath  preaching.  Even 
where  we  had  no  church  edifices,  and  were 
obliged  to  worship  on  the  Sabbath  in  school- 
houses,  or  in  public  halls,  we  had  our  organized 
Sunday-schools  in  somewhat  successful  opera- 
tion, especially  in  the  more  favorable  seasons 
of  the  year. 

Whil*  Sunday-schools  were  thus  making  a 
deep  impression  on  the  public  religious  mind, 
nearly  all  denominations  adopted  them,  none 
more  eagerly  than  did  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Definite  forms  of  conference  reports 
were  made  out,  and  accurate  statistics  of  their 
numbers  and  state  in  each  pastoral  charge 
were  reported  to  conference,  embracing  the 


134  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

number  of  officers,  teachers,  and  scholars.  The 
sum  total  of  officers,  teachers,  and  scholars  re- 
ported in  the  General  Minutes  of  the  Church 
forty  years  ago  was  not  less  than  one  hundred 
thousand. 

Methodism  had  recognized  and  encouraged 
Sunday-schools  from  their  very  origin.  Wesley 
saw  that  those  first  established,  by  Robert  Raikes, 
were  of  God.  Some  of  the  female  members  of 
his  Societies  were  the  first  to  offer  gratuitous 
instruction  in  them.  In  America,  as  early  as 
the  year  1786,  Bishop  Asbury  founded  a  Sun- 
day-school in  Virginia.  "  This  first  school  in 
America"  prefigured  one  of  the  most  important 
later  advantages  of  the  institution,  by  giving  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  a  useful  min- 
ister of  the  Gospel.* 

*  For  a  more  detailed  account  of  the  early  progress  and  ori- 
gin of  Sunday-schools,  see  the  "  Report  of  the  Sunday-School 
Union  for  1851." 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that,  with  all  the  records  of  the  origin 

Sunday-schools  in  America,  there  should  still  be  sflch  tardi- 
s  among  other  denominations  of  Christians  in  recognizing 
their  Metliodistic  origin. 

It  lias  been  claimed  in  some  quarters  that  Bishop  White, 
of  the  Episcopal  Church,  organized  the  "first  in  America" 
which  had  any  permanency.  This  was  in  Philadelphia,  in 
1791.  But  this  was  five  years  after  Bishop  Asbury's  school 
in  Virginia.  A  recent  writer  in  the  "  New  York  Evangelist " 
reports  that  a  Sunday-school  was  organized  in  what  is  now 
the  city  of  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  in  the  year  1809,  and  claims  it  as 


Sunday-  Schools.  135 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  the 
first  to  put  Sunday-schools  into  organic  rela- 
tion to  her  Conference  Minutes.  This  was  done 

the  "first,"  in  these  words:  "I  mention  this  fact,"  says  he, 
"  that  the  origin  of  Sunday-schools,  in  their  history,  may  be 
properly  recorded  in  the  United  States."  Another  writer  re- 
cently, through  the  "  Boston  Daily  News,"  claims  that  "  the 
Puritans  originated  "  the  "  first  Sunday-school  in  America,  in 
Roxbury,  Mass.,  in  1674."  Also,  "that  Ludwig  Thacker  an- 
ticipated Robert  Raikes  by  establishing  a  Sunday-school  in 
Ephrath,  Pa.,  in  the  year  1750,  which  continued  thirty  years." 
A  reliable  answer  to  these  statements  will  be  found  in  the 
following  extract  from  a  letter  to  the  writer,  by  Daniel  Wise, 
D.D.,  one  of  the  best-posted  writers  on  Sunday-schools  in 
America,  he  having  been  for  sixteen  years  past  the  editor  of 
the  "  Sunday-School  Advocate,"  also  of  the  Sunday-School 
Union  Library  Books,  and  a  voluminous  writer  on  the  subject 
of  Sunday-schools.  He  says :  "  There  can  be  no  room  for 
reasonable  doubt  respecting  the  introduction  of  Sunday-schools 
of  modern  times  into  America  by  Bishop  Asbury,  in  1786. 
That  sporadic  cases  of  Sunday  instruction  occurred  before  that 
period  is  probable.  Such  cases  were  known  in  Europe  before 
Mr.  Raikes'  school,  but  they  did  not  grow  into  a  system  like 
his.  Mr.  Asbury,  doubtless,  brought  the  modern  Sunday-school 
idea  from  England,  and  gave  it  practical  form  in  America,  long 
before  any  other  person  or  Church  thought  of  doing  so.  The 
sporadic  cases  mentioned  do  not  set  aside  his  claim,  for  tlT 
never  grew.  They  were  purely  local,  limited,  and  died  seedlel 
His  schools  spread,  lived,  were  recognized  by  the  Methodist 
"Episcopal  Church,  and  finally  became  one  of  her  organic  parts. 
You  may  fearlessly  challenge  the  'Daily  News'  writers  to  pro- 
duce an  analogous  case,  and  defy  them  to  rob  our  Church  of 
the  historic  honor  of  founding  the  American  Sunday  system." 
Such  errors  as  Dr.  Wise  has  here  corrected  concerning  the 
origin  of  Sunday-schools  in  America  surprised  some  of  us 


1 36  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

as  early  as  1/90,  at  the  conference  held  in 
Charleston,  S.  C,  Bishop  Asbury  presiding. 
This  conference  voted  to  establish  Sunday- 
schools  "for  poor  children,  white  and  black." 
In  1827  the  Sunday-School  Union  was  organ- 
ized. In  1828  the  General  Conference  made  it 
the  duty  of  presiding  elders  to  promote  Sunday- 
schools  in  their  districts,  and  preachers  in  charge 
to  report  Sunday-school  statistics. 

Such  a  lively  interest  had  Methodists  taken 
in  Sunday-schools  all  through  their  early  his- 
tory that  it  will  not  be  a  matter  of  special  won- 
der that  the  cause  was  found  to  be  in  this  en- 
couraging state,  forty  years  ago  ;  yet  there  were 
many  defects  in  their  practical  workings  which 
could  not  be  remedied  except  by  more  expe- 
rience, and  by  wisely-directed  and  prayerful, 
persevering  efforts,  such  as  time  and  needs 
should  develop. 

They  were  not  as  thoroughly  organized  as 
efficiency  required.  They  were  too  frequently 
suspended  in  the  winter.  They  were  deficient 

who  had  made  ourselves  somewhat  familiar  with  what  we 
regarded  as  the  authentic  history  of  Sunday-schools  in  our 
country,  and  what  we  had  supposed  were  the  acknowledged 
facts  by  all  well-read  men  on  the  subject.  Query:  Is  it  sec- 
tarian prejudice  which  causes  people  to  withhold  from  our 
Methodistic  fathers  the  credit  of  founding  Sabbath-schools  in 
America  ? 


Sunday-  Schools.  137 

in  the  number-  and  variety  of  suitable  library 
books,  especially  for  juveniles.  They  were 
without  the  needed  "  Sunday-School  Requisites." 
They  had  no  Sunday-school  periodicals.  With 
all  these  drawbacks  there  was  but  a  limited  op- 
portunity to  develop  what  Sunday-schools  could 
with  better  facilities  accomplish.  Nevertheless 
the  cause  gained  volume  and  power  constantly. 
In  1840  Sunday-schools  in  our  pastoral 
charges  were  placed  under  the  control  of  the 
quarterly  conferences.  In  1841  the  "Sabbath- 
School  Messenger"  was  started,  and  for  eight 
years  was  published  in  Boston.  Then  the 
"  Sunday-School  Advocate  "  was.  established  in 
New  York,  and  the  "  Messenger  "  merged  into 
it.  In  1844  the  Rev.  D.  P.  Kidder,  D.D.,  was 
elected  editor  of  the  "  Sunday-School  Advocate  " 
and  of  the  Sunday-school  library  books,  and  Sec- 
retary of  the  "  Sunday-School  Union,"  in  which 
capacity  he  served  till  1856,  when  the  Rev.  D. 
Wise,  D.D.,  became,  by  the  appointment  of  the 
General  Conference,  his  successor  in  office, 
which  he  held  till  1872.  In  1868  Rev.  J.  H. 
Vincent,  D.D.,  was  appointed  editor  of  the 
newly-authorized  "  Sunday-School  Teachers' 
Journal,"  and  of  "  Sunday-School  Requisites." 
The  General  Conference  of  1872  elected  him 
editor  of  "  Sunday-School  Books,"  the  "  Sun- 


138   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

day-School  Advocate,"  the  "  Sunday-School 
Journal,"  and  "Sunday-School  Requisites." 

Thus  it  appears  that  from  the  first  our  prog- 
gress  has  been  constant  and  rapid,  but  particu- 
larly so  for  the  past  forty  years.  We  now  num- 
ber not  less  than  1,500,000  members,  including 
officers  and  teachers ;  2,000  volumes  of  Sunday- 
school  books  are  published  by  the  Sunday- 
School  Union  ;  nearly  400,000  copies  of  the 
"  Sunday-School  Advocate,"  exclusive  of  the 
Canada  edition,  are  circulated ;  the  "  Sunday- 
School  Journal "  has  more  than  70,000  subscrib- 
ers ;  the  yearly  conversions  to  Christ  in  our 
Sunday-schools  are  reported  to  number  some 
40,000  or  50,000,  while  the  "  Department  of  Sun- 
day-School Requisites "  is  the  most  extensive 
and  complete  of  its  kind  in  the  entire  country. 

"  The  Berean  Series  of  Lessons,"  edited  by 
Dr.  Vincent,  is  an  important  feature  of  im- 
provement in  the  mode  of  instruction ;  and  the 
"  Lesson  Leaves,"  freshly  taken  from  the  word 
of  God,  the  only  "tree  of  life,"  whose  leaves 
are  for  the  "  healing  of  the  nations,"  are  found  in 
many,  and  should  be  in  al',  our  Sunday-schools. 

The  "  Sunday-School  Journal,"  for  superin- 
tendents, teachers,  and  adult  scholars,  is  crowd- 
ed full  of  the  freshest  and  best  Sunday-school 
matter — discussions  of  first  principles  of  organ  • 


Sunday-Schools.  1 39 

ization,  management,  and  teaching,  practical 
hints,  reports,  lists  of  requisites,  new  and  sug- 
gestive "  Institute  "  programmes,  model  lessons, 
and  the  best  phases  of  our  Sunday-school  work. 

The  "  Requisites "  are  certificates  of  admis- 
sion and  dismission,  reward  tickets,  books  of 
registry,  catechisms,  question  books,  hymns 
and  music,  books  for  teachers,  maps,  medals, 
anniversary  exercises,  etc. 

A  Normal  Department  has  also  been  estab- 
lished by  Dr.  Vincent,  with  two  courses  of 
study — "  The  Church  Class  Course,"  and  "  The 
Seminary  Course" — the  first  with  three  classes, 
"  Preparatory,"  "  Junior,"  and  "  Senior,"  a  very 
thorough  course,  diplomas  being  awarded  to 
those  who  finish  it.  Under  the  guidance  of  Dr. 
Vincent,  that  skillful  superintendent,  these  vari- 
ous instrumentalities  are  doing  great  good. 

Much  credit  is  due  to  Dr.  Wise  for  his  "wise" 
and  faithful  labors  as  Secretary  of  the  Sunday- 
School  Union,  Editor  of  the  "  Sunday-School 
Advocate"  and  of  Sunday-School  Books,  to  which 
he  has  devoted  his  useful  life,  till  recently,  since 
the  General  Conference  of  1858,  by  his  exten- 
sive travels,  visiting  the  annual  conferences, 
delivering  stirring  addresses,  giving  timely  ad- 
vice to  the  preachers,  and  employing  his  time 
and  talents  in  his  office  at  home  as  a  "ready 


140  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

writer"  and  pleasing  editor  of  Sunday-school 
literature. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1872  Dr.  Vin- 
cent, with  his  tried  skill,  especially  for  the  past 
four  years,  in  the  Sunday-school  work,  was  ap- 
pointed to  be  at  the  head  of  this  important  de- 
partment of  Church  enterprise. 

With  all  these  improvements  our  Sunday- 
schools,  in  many  sections  of  the  Church,  espe- 
cially in  New  England,  stand  greatly  in  need  of 
more  time  for.  their  sessions.  Their  entire  serv- 
ices are  crowded  into  a  brief  space — from  forty 
to  sixty  minutes — when  every  exercise  must  be 
hurried  through  with  great  rapidity,  and  many 
important  matters  left  out. 

Many  of  our  wisest  and  best  Sunday-school 
workers  are  hoping  for  the  time  to  come  when 
one  part  of  our  Sabbaths,  now  devoted  to  ser- 
mons, shall  be  used  for  such  Sunday-school  ex- 
ercises as  shall  both  please  and  profit  not  only 
our  children,  but  all  right-minded  and  intelli- 
gent adult  well-wishers  of  the  cause  of  God. 

Should  there  not  be  also  a  "  normal  class " 
sustained  in  each,  of  our  Sunday-schools,  and 
placed  under  the  charge  of  the  pastor  of  the 
Church,  or  his  own  appointed  substitute,  with 
an  outline  text-book — a  medium  between  our 
usual  question  books  and  moral  philosophy — 


Simday-  Schools. '  141 

for  the  benefit  of  our  best  scholars  and  sharpest 
minds,  with  particular  reference  to  their  prep- 
aration for  future  usefulness  as  superintendents 
and  teachers  ?  And  should  not  also  more  par- 
ticular attention  be  paid,  especially  in  our  infant 
and  juvenile  classes,  to  the  language  of  the  word 
of  God,  committing  important  and  appropriate 
selected  portions  to  memory  ?  Such  lessons 
stored  in  the  youthful  mind  have  produced 
most  precious  fruit  for  time  and  eternity  in 
numerous  instances. 

The  Church  must  not  stop  to  glory  in  her 
past  success  when  "there  remains  very  much 
land  to  be  possessed."  Not  only  are  there 
many  children  and  youth  whose  eternal  wel- 
fare may  depend  upon  their  being  gathered 
into  Sunday-schools,  and  there  trained  for 
Christ  and  heaven,  but  millions  of  adults  are 
out  of  Christ,  and  'out  of  Sunday-schools,  who 
ought  to  be  cared  for,  and,  if  possible,  induced  to 
attend  them,  and  made  the  happy  recipients  of 
their  saving  benefits. 


142  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
1  Gathering  Fruit  unto  Life  Eternal." 

Divine  Lord  and  Master  said  to  his 
own  chosen  ministers,  "  Ye  have  not 
chosen  me,  but  I  have  chosen  you,  and 
ordained  you,  that  ye  should  go  and  bring  forth 
fruit,  and  that  your  fruit  should  remain."  It  is 
with  great  gratitude  to  God  that  I  am  able  to 
look  back  on  my  ministry  and  to  know  that, 
directly  or  indirectly,  some  "  precious  fruit  "  has 
been  gathered  to  Christ,  which  remains  and  is 
recognized  in  the  Church  at  the  present  time. 
I  deeply  regret  that  no  more  fruit  has  been 
gathered  through  my  imperfect  efforts  ;  but 
enough  has  been  seen  and  acknowledged  for 
which  to  be  most  heartily  thankful  to  my  heav- 
enly Father.  I  will  not  here  refer  to  more  re- 
cent years,  though  in  these  I  have  been  cheered 
by  frequent  ingatherings  of  "  precious  fruit " 
into  "  the  garner  of  the  Lord."  But  I  wish  to 
encourage  the  young  laborer  for  Christ  by  re- 
ferring to  a  few  special  cases  in  my  early  labors 


Gathering  Fruit  unto  Life  Eternal.       143 

in  the  itinerant  field,  in  which  different  persons 
have  been  brought  to  Christ  by  special  personal 
efforts  used — instances  of  conversion  which 
have,  in  these  many  years  past,  had  time  to 
show  their  gracious  results  on  themselves,  and, 
through  them,  on  many  others. 

In  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  my  early 
home  we  had  no  church  edifice,  and  only  here 
and  there  a  person  professing  godliness,  and 
only  occasional  Sabbath  preaching  and  week- 
day lecture  appointments  by  our  circuit  preacher. 
Our  usual  places  of  Church  attendance  were 
three  and  four  miles  away.  In  this  state  of  re- 
ligious matters  our  holy  Christianity  was  at  a 
low  ebb  among  us. 

Although  my  own  religious  life  began  while 
I  was  away  from  my  early  home,  yet  I  had  be- 
come most  intensely  interested  for  my  friends  and 
neighbors  there.  As  before  stated,  I  commenced 
preaching  soon  after  I  made  a  public  profession 
of  faith,  but  felt  it  to  be  a  great  cross  to  begin  at 
home.  I  had  held  but  two  meetings  away  from 
home  before  I  became  conscious  of  a  duty  there 
which  I  could  not  evade  without  treachery  to 
my  Master.  In  accordance  with  my  convic- 
tions, I  named  to  a  few  friends  that  I  would  hold 
a  meeting  at  the  school-house  the  next  evening. 
The  news  spread  with  great  rapidity.  Curiosity 


144  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

brought  out  a  crowded  house.  Under  an  inde- 
scribable pressure  of  feeling  I  performed  the 
promised  service  as  best  I  could.  My  gracious 
Lord  helped  me.  The  word  took  effect  Old 
professors  confessed  their  coldness.  My  only 
sister,  some  years  older  than  myself,  started  for 
heaven  that  night,  and  made  a  public  statement 
of  her  purposes.  She  was  nearly  the  first  one 
I  baptized  after  my  ordination,  and  in  another 
town  became  the  nucleus  around  which  a  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  was  afterward  gathered. 
She  was  "  faithful  unto  death." 

Two  years  after  preaching  my  first  sermon 
at  home  our  people  there  erected  and  dedicated 
a  church.  A  revival  immediately  commenced 
which  gathered  in  a  large  number.  Among 
those  converted  several  dated  their  deep  con- 
viction back  to  that  meeting,  so  memorable  to 
me,  of  two  years  before.  One  of  these  was  my 
most  intimate  friend  and  associate,  a  young  man 
with  whom  I  had,  probably,  spent  more  hours 
than  with  any  other  person  not  of  our  own 
family.  He  stated  to  me  afterward  that  he  very 
unexpectedly  received  "  barbed  arrows  "  of  truth 
into  his  heart  that  night  which  he  never  got  rid 
of  till  they  were  drawn,  and  the  wound  healed 
by  the  Lord  Jesus,  at  his  conversion.  That 
young  man  has  for  some  thirty-five  years  past 


"  Gathering  Fruit  unto  Life  Eternal?    145 

been  a  zealous  and  useful  minister  of  the  Gos- 
pel, and  is  now  a  superannuated  member  of  the 
New  Hampshire  Conference,  preaching  occa- 
sionally, as  strength  and  opportunity  will  allow. 
Brother  J.  B ,  of  Woodstock,  Vt,  is  here  re- 
ferred to. 

On  old  Barre  Station,  in  Vermont,  some 
thirty-four  years  ago,  I  went  into  a  school  dis- 
trict in  a  remote  part  of  the  charge  and  held  a 
series  of  evening  meetings.  God  graciously 
blessed  the  effort.  Some  twenty  souls  were 
gathered  into  the  fold  in  a  short  time.  The  first 
convert  at  that  meeting  was  a  young  man,  per- 
haps eighteen  years  old.  He  had  a  good  gift  and 
an  excellent  influence.  I  formed  a  class,  which 
embraced  the  few  older  members  of  the  Church 
and  the  new  recruits,  among  whom  was  that 
young  man's  father.  The  young  man  I  ap- 
pointed leader.  He  was  faithful  in  this  duty. 
Soon,  feeling  it  to  be  his  duty  to  preach,  he 
left  the  place  for  Newbury  Seminary,  prepara- 
tory to  his  life-work,  and  was  licensed  to  preach. 
This  young  man-  is  now  the  beloved  presiding 
elder  of  Montpelier  District,  Vermont  Confer- 
ence, the  Rev.  J.  A.  S . 

Another  instance  of  "  precious  fruit "  gath- 
ered in  my  early  ministry  was  that  of  a  lad,  I 

should  judge  some  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  I 
10 


146  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

think  an  orphan,  who  lived  with  a  Major  T 

at  Hanover  Plain,  N.  H.  He  became  a  mem- 
ber of  our  Sunday-school,  was  greatly  interested 
in  its  exercises,  and  soon  sought  and  found  the 
Saviour.  I  rejoiced  to  administer  to  him  the 
ordinance  of  baptism,  and  to  extend  to  him  the 
hand  of  Church-fellowship.  After  a  few  years, 
by  my  various  removals,  I  lost  track  of  him. 
At  length  I  found  him  in  our  Theological  Sem- 
inary at  Concord,  N.  H.  The  reader  may  in- 
quire of  Rev.  N.  M ,  of  the  New  England 

Conference,  for  further  particulars. 

Other  instances  might  be  given  of  gathering 
ministerial  fruit,  of  early  and  more  recent  dates, 
but  these  must  suffice.  I  will  relate  a  few  in- 
cidents in  the  ingathering  of  lay  members  into 
Christ's  fold. 

In  a  certain  Vermont  circuit  there  lived  a 
careless  neglecter  of  religion,  the  son  of  an  in- 
fidel, who  taught  him  to  despise  the  religion  of 
Christ,  all  the  ordinances  of  the  Church,  and 
her  ministers.  He  accordingly  grew  up  entirely 
ignorant  of  our  Church  usages,  and  called  the 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  "hell-hounds."  His 
wife  was  trained  a  Universalist,  and  became 
nearly  as  indifferent  as  he.  Death  came  into 
their  little  family,  and  removed  from  them  a 
beloved  child.  The  funeral  service  came  at 


Gathering  Fruit  unto  Life  Eternal.      147 

the  time  of  our  week-day  quarterly  meeting. 
Through  the  influence  of  the  Divine  Spirit  and 
the  afflictive  providence  named,  "  God  made 
their  hearts  soft,  and  the  Almighty  troubled 
them."  They  were  present  at  the  evening 
prayer- meeting.  I  invited  seekers  to  arise  for 
prayers.  They  both  quickly  arose.  Earnest 
prayer  was  offered  for  them. 

The  next  morning  they  were  at  "  love-feast." 
Near  its  close  I,  according  to  the  custom  of 
those  days,  gave  an  opportunity  for  any  who 
wished  to  offer  themselves  as  "probationers" 
for  the  Church.  To  my  surprise  they  both 
readily  arose.  Judging  that  they  had  made  a 
mistake,  I  went  to  them  and  said,  "  You  arose 
to  be  prayed  for,  did  you  ? "  They  said  they 
did.  I  told  them  the  difference,  when  the  man 
immediately  responded,  "  Well,  I  think  now  I 
am  up,  I  will  not  back  out ! "  I  told  him  we 
sometimes  took  "  probationers  "  as  seekers  of 
religion,  and  they  could  join  with  that  under- 
standing if  they  chose.  They  both  were  so  re- 
ceived. At  the  next  class-meeting  they  were 
both  present.  When  the  man  was  spoken  to 
he  arose  and  said,  "  I  don't  feel  as  I  want  to  ; 
I  want  to  be  the  first  on  the  docket  /"  The 
woman  spoke  nearly  as  follows  :  "  I  take  great 
consolation.  I  am  so  glad  the  Lord  has  showed 


148   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now.  ' 

me  my  error.  I  used  to  think  '  there  wouldn't 
a  sparrow  fall,'  but  I  am  thankful  to  see  where  I 
have  been.  I  take  great  comfort !"  We  said, 
"  Thank-the  Lord."  "  O,"  said  she,  "  don't  be  de- 
ceived about  me  !  I  am  not  converted,  but  I  do 
take  great  consolation."  We  could  not  refrain 
from  praising  the  Lord  again  for  two  more  pre- 
cious souls  saved  by  grace.  They  proved  faithful, 
and  made  good  members  of  the  Church.  Years 
after  we  learned  that  neither  had  "  backed  out," 
but  both  were  taking  "great  consolation,"  and 
trying  to  be  among  "  the  first  on  the  docket " 
in  their  duties  and  privileges. 

Another  manifestation  of  saving  grace  was 
one  connected  with  our  interesting  Sunday- 
school  at  Hanover  some  less  than  forty  years 
ago.  Our  sisters  of  that  Church,  seeing  the  neces- 
sity of  getting  access  to  poor  children  for  Sun- 
day-school, formed  a  "Ladies'  Sunday-School 
Clothing  Society,"  with  good  results.  Among 
the  "clothed"  was  a  poor  girl,  about  twelve 
years  old,  whose  father  was  a  drunkard  and  moth- 
er sickly.  Their  poverty  was  extreme,  and  their 
home  disagreeable  by  reason  of  rum  and  filth. 
The  daughter  was  sought  after  for  the  Sunday- 
school,  and  respectably  clothed.  She  became 
a  Sunday-school  scholar,  made  good  improve- 
ment, sought  and  found  the  Saviour,  to  the  great 


Gathering  Fruit  unto  Life  Eternal.       149 

joy  of  her  heart  and  ours.  After  many  years 
we  met  her  again.  She  was  well-dressed,  well- 
married,  and  a  good  appearing  Christian  lady 
living  in  a  New  England  city,  and,  report  said, 
sustained  a  good  social  position  there.  She 
introduced  us  to  her  mother,  who  had  also  be- 
come a  lover  of  the  Saviour,  and  greatly  changed 
for  the  better,  in  dress  and  general  appearance, 
from  former  days. 

Another  instance  of  the  elevating  power  of 
Christianity  was  manifested  in  the  case  of  a 
poor,  ignorant,  quarreling,  hard-drinking  Irish 
family.  There  were  two  little  children,  a  son, 
some  six  or  seven  years  old,  and  a  daughter, 
younger,  in  the  family.  I  asked  the  parents  to 
let  them  go  to  our  Sunday-school.  They  re- 
pulsed me.  I  called  again  on  the  same  errand. 
They  said  they  could  not  clothe  them  decently 
to  go.  I  offered,  in  behalf  of  the  "  Clothing 
Society,"  to  supply  the  lack  of  clothes.  They 
consented.  The  clothes  were  soon  provided. 
The  next  Sabbath  morn  as  early  as  half  past 
nine  o'clock  the  proud  father  led  into  our  home 
his  two  little  bright-eyed,  well-dressed  children, 
never  prouder  of  them  than  then,  and  said  to 
me  in  his  Irish  brogue,  "  I  present  them  to  you, 
sir."  We  took  them  to  church,  gave  them  seats 
in  the  parsonage  pew,  and  put  them  into  good 


1 50   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

classes  in  Sunday-school.  Thus  for  weeks  we 
took  kind  care  of  them.  They  behaved  well, 
and  made  good  progress.  One  day  said  the 
father  to  me,  "  How  do  my  children  behave  in 
church  ?  I  think  I  must  come  and  see."  He 
came,  and  then  again.  At  length  said  he,  "  Do 
you  know  of  any  one  in  your  church  who  will 
rent  me  a  pew  ?  I  must  go  to  church  regular- 
ly." The  pew  was  soon  found.  They  all  be- 
came regular  "  church-goers."  In  a  few  months 
they  both  sought  "the  pearl  of  great  price,"  and 
all  came  to  be  among  our  warmest  friends. 
The  next  year  the  well-preserved  clothes  were 
presented  back  to  the  society  with  the  saying, 
"  We  are  able  to  clothe  our  own  children,  and 
these  clothes  will  do  other  poor  children  some 
good."  Not  only  did  he  clothe  his  children,  but 
paid  for  his  preaching  also.  What  a  change  in 
that  wretched  family  in  the  course  of  a  few 
months !  The  children  grew  up  to  be  re- 
spected, and  the  parents  now  occupy  and  own 
a  good,  .well-furnished  house,  and  have  a  good 
social  position  in  that  village. 

In  the  same  place  where  these  cases  last 
referred  to  occurred  there  was  another  of  a 
very  different  grade,  which,  by  its  peculiarly 
novel  and  interesting  characteristics,  should  be 
here  recorded.  A  highly  intelligent,  well-edu- 


Gathering  Fruit  unto  Life  Eternal.      151 

cated  lady,  who  was  regarded  as  a  very  decided 
Universalist,  was  employed  as  teacher  of  the 
village  high  school.  I  found  her  constantly  at 
church  on  the  Sabbath,  and  at  length  a  member 
of  Mrs.  C.'s  Bible-class,  and  she  soon  asked  the 
privilege  of  coming  to  our  house  on  Saturday 
eve,  and,  with  the  use  of  our  books,  studying  her 
Bible-class  lesson  in  connection  with  us.  We 
sought  to  be  courteous  in  our  treatment  of  her, 
and  cautious,  perhaps  over-cautious,  not  to  mo- 
lest her  sentiments,  as  she  was  equally  cautious 
never  to  molest  ours. 

A  few  weeks  only  passed  away  before  she 
came  in  expressly  to  have  some  conversation 
on  what  to  her  and  to  us  was  a  subject  of 
very  great  interest.  "  I  have  come,"  said  she, 
"to  say  to  you  that  I  want  to  join  your 
Church.  I  am  a  Universalist,  but  believe  I 
have  experienced  religion,  and  my  Universalist 
preachers  do  not  feed  me.  They  do  not  preach 
Christian  experience,  and  I  am  not  satisfied 
without  hearing  it  preached  as  I  think  I  have 
it.  You  preach  it  as  I  understand  it,  and  I 
think  I  can  live  religion  better  by  joining  the 
Church  than  to  undertake  to  live  out  of  it." 

I  said,  "Miss  H.,  hpw  can  you  subscribe  to 
our  Church  faith  and  usages  and  still  be,  as  you 
say  you  are,  a  Universalist  ? "  She  readily  re- 


152   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

plied,  "I  do  not  want  to  be  tenacious  about 
Universalism.  It  may  be  true,  and  may  not. 
I  think  eventually  all  will  reach  heaven,  but  I 
am  willing  to  let  this  be  my  silent  belief,  as  I 
am  with  you  in  other  doctrines."  I  replied, 
"  Miss  H.,  what  if  some  day  you  should  hear 
some  of  us  preach  on  future  and  endless  pun- 
ishment, and  when  you  got  home  your  father,  a 
most  decided  Universalist,  should  say  to  you, 
'  Well,  Rosaline,  have  you  had.  hell-fire  and  dam- 
nation preached  to  you  to-day  ? '  what  could  you 
say  to  it  ? " 

She  respectfully  answered,  "  I  should  say 
to  him,  'Our  minister  preached  what  I  have 
no  doubt  he  sincerely  believes,  and  I  have  no 
disposition  to  find  fault  with  him  about  it.' " 
Being  satisfied  that  she  would  be  true  to  her 
Church  obligations,  and  an  ornament  to  the 
cause,  I  went  out  to  consult  the  leader  and 
other  official  members  near  by  to  learn  what 
position  they  would  take  in  her  case.  They  all 
said,  "  Take  her ;  she  will-  know  before  her  six 
months'  probation  is  out  what  she  is." 

Returning,  I  reported  our  decision.  She  re- 
plied, "  I  thank  you  for  your  willingness  to  re- 
ceive me,  and  for  your  thoroughness  with 
me.  I  expected  it,  and  am  glad  to  have 
it  so,  Now  I  want  in  two  weeks  from  next 


Gathering  Fruit  unto  Life  Eternal.      153 

Sabbath  to  be  baptized  at  the  altar  and  received 
on  probation,  if  you  are  willing."  This  being 
agreed  to,  she  then  proceeded  to  say,  "  Before  I 
go  any  further  in  this  matter  I  shall  go  home 
and  tell  my  father  just  what  I  have  decided 
upon,  and  invite  him  to  come  and  be  with  me 
when  I  am  baptized.  If  it  has  no  other  effect 
he  will  respect  me  for  my  frankness  and  invita- 
tion." 

When  the  time  arrived  she  was  in  her  place 
for  the  ordinance,  but  without  her  father. 
The  occasion  was  one  of  special  interest  and 
profit.  She  from  that  day  forth  never  failed  in 
social  meetings  to  bear  testimony  for  Christ, 
never  for  once  indicating  there  or  elsewhere 
that  she  was  a  Universalist.  At  the  end 
of  her  six  months'  probation  she  joined  in  full. 
She  lived  a  few  years  a  faithful  and  true 
Christian,  an  ornament  to  the  Church,  and 
died  happy,  greatly  lamented,  and  beloved 
by  all  her  acquaintances.  Her  father  and 
other  Universalist  relatives,  though  professedly 
unchanged  in  sentiment,  for  Rosaline's  sake 
ever  after  this  spoke  well  of  the  Church  of  her 
choice. 

Another  interesting  instance  of  sowing  beside 
all  waters  and  of  gathering  fruit  unto  life  eternal 
is  worthy  of  record  here.  It  will  illustrate  the 


154  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

power  of  Gospel  truth,  providentially  brought  to 
bear  upon  the  people  of  a  certain  parish  through 
the  silent  teachings  of 

ONE  GOOD  AND  USEFUL  BOOK. 

The  place  alluded  to  is  situated  on  the  banks 
of  White  River,  Vermont,  a  place  where  Calvin- 
istic  doctrines  and  old  Puritanic  usages  had 
almost  unlimited  sway  thirty  or  forty  years  ago. 
There  no  other  than  the  parish  Church  had  place 
among  them.  The  place,  like  ancient  Jericho, 
was  straitly  shut  up.  No  other  Christian  peo- 
ple than  their  own  were  allowed,  if  it  was  possi- 
ble to  prevent  it,  to  come  in  to  invade  their 
pretended  rights ;  so  said  outside  reports. 
Their  parish  minister  was  dull  and  prosy,  his 
sermons  long  and  tedious.  Report  said  he  was 
nearing  the  day  of  his  dismissal. 

This  old  parish  was  within  the  bounds  of  a 
certain  circuit  to  which  the  writer,  thirty  years 
ago,  had  been  a  short  time  appointed.  In  one 
of  our  circuit  tours,  Mrs.  C.  being  with  me,  we, 
being  unacquainted  with  the  roads,  chanced  to 
take  the  wrong  one,  and  came  out  at  the  afore- 
said village,  where  we  were  perfect  strangers. 
As  we  came  in  sight  of  it  our  horse  accidentally 
stepped  upon  a  sharp-pointed  stake,  which 
caused  it  to  be  violently  thrown  up,  making  a 


Gathering  Fruit  iinto  Life  Eternal.       155 

deep  wound  in  his  flesh,  and  causing  him  to 
furiously  run  our  carriage  against  a  solid  rock 
at  the  roadside,  when  we  were  violently  thrown 
out,  harness  and  wagon  broken,  the  horse  ap- 
parently bleeding  to  death,  and,  vastly  worse 
than  all  the  rest,  Mrs.  C.  was  lying  helpless  on 
the  ground,  and  it  was  feared  fatally  wounded. 

We  were  taken  to  the  house  of  a  good  hospi- 
table lady,  where  Mrs.  C.  was  well  cared  for. 
Here  we  were  detained  for  weeks  by  her  severe 
sickness.  When  it  was  possible  to  remove  to 
our  home,  and  our  bills  for  board,  nursing, 
horse-keeping,  and  mending  up  a  broken  wagon 
and  harness  were  called  for,  we  had  none  to  pay, 
except  a  small  doctor's  bill,  not  a  fourth  part 
usually  charged  for  such  service  rendered.  The 
good  woman  who  bore  the  main  expense  ac- 
cepted the  present  of  a  few  good  books,  among 
which  was  "  Mahan  on  Christian  Perfection." 

One  day  Captain  H.  came  in  and  found  her 
reading  it.  He  asked  for  its  title.  On  being 
told  what  it  was,  and  how  she  came  by  it,  he 
remarked,  "  Better  not  read  it ;  it  is  Method- 
ist heresy."  She  laid  it  aside. 

Relating  these  facts  to  a  live  member  of  that 
Church,  he  said,  "  Lend  it  to  me,  /  will  read 
it."  He  took  and  read  it ;  then  another  and 
another.  It  set  their  souls  on  fire  of  love  divine. 


156  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

They  said,  "  If  these  things  are  so,  we  must  have 
prayer-meetings  specially  to  pray  for  more  re- 
ligion." They  were  held,  when  others  caught 
the  flame.  At  length  came  the  pastor  of  the 
Church,  who  also  was  warmed  by  the  same  in- 
fluence, and  preached  with  new  power.  A  re- 
vival followed,  converts  were  added  to  the 
Church,  and  their  formerly  dull  minister,  being 
as  good  as  new,  gave  good  satisfaction  for  years 
longer. 

All  this  good  fruit,  this  rich  harvest,  is  said 
to  have  sprung  from  that  good  seed  thus  provi- 
dentially sowed.  Not  Methodist  heresy,  but 
Gospel  truth,  published  by  a  Presbyterian  au- 
thor, "  brought  forth  fruit  into  life  eternal." 

One  more  reminiscence  must  suffice.  On 
the  Winchester  Station,  some  twenty-five  years 
ago,  the  writer  called  on  all  who  would  enlist 
for  a  revival  of  religion  to  meet  at  the  parson- 
age the  next  Monday  evening.  Of  a  large 
Church-membership  about  a  dozen  came.  The 
pastor  presented  to  them  a  written  plan  for 
systematic  personal  effort  to  save  souls,  con- 
taining a  pledge  by  which  we  bound  ourselves  to 
work  according  to  the  proposed  plan  till  we 
should  see  a  revival,  and  as  much  longer  as  we 
should  see  best.  All  signed  it.  Then  we  prayed 
for  the  blessing  of  God  on  the  contemplated 


Gathering  Fruit  unto  Life  Eternal.      157 

effort.  Among  other  things,  we  promised  each 
to  select  some  particular  one  to  pray  and  labor 
for,  without  mentioning  to  each  other  who  that 
one  should  be,  and  meet  once  a  week  and  re- 
port our  success,  and  pray  for  each  other  and 
for  our  own  selected  subjects  for  prayer.  Sev- 
eral of  us,  it  was  afterward  found,  had  fixed  our 
minds  upon  an  intelligent,  moral  young  gentle- 
man, who  had  for  some  time  been  a  Bible-class 
teacher  in  the  Sunday-school.  At  our  second 
meeting  he  came  in  and  reported  himself  thus : 
"  Last  Monday  night,  when  you  were  praying 
so  earnestly  for  somebody,  I  leaned  over  my 
garden  fence,  (he  lived  near  by,)  and  wished  I 
knew  if  you  were  praying  for  me.  I  could  not 
help  weeping.  I  thought  if  you  were  so  ear- 
nest for  me  I  ought  to  be  in  earnest  for  myself. 
Thank  God,  I  know  now  you  were  praying  for 
me.  I  have  found  the  Saviour,  and  now  I  am 
willing  to  take  hold  with  you  and  help  save 
others."  He  nobly  redeemed  his  pledge.  Each 
week,  by  the  same  personal  effort,  varied  only 
by  a  change  of  circumstances,  drew  to  the  altar 
other  seeking  souls,  who  were .  soon  "  brought 
into  the  glorious  light  and  liberty  of  the  Gos- 
pel," until  some  fifty  "  were  added  to  the 
Lord." 

Few  laymen  in  the  Church  have  proved  more 


158  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

faithful,  or  have  been  the  means  of  the  conver- 
sion of  more  sinners  to  Christ,  than  has  our 
brother  in  Christ,  W.  J.  C.,  now  a  merchant  in 
the  city  of  Nashua,  N.  H. 

May  our  young  laborers  in  the  Gospel  field — 
ministers  and  lay-members — take  courage  from 
the  foregoing  record  of  successful  effort  for 
Christ  to  "  sow  by  the  side  of  the  waters,"  that 
they  may  "  gather  fruit  unto  life  eternal,"  "  fruit 
that  shall  remain,"  that  both  the  sower  and  the 
reaper  may  rejoice  together  when  the  "sheaves " 
shall  be  gathered  into  the  heavenly  "  garner." 


Educational  Advantages.  159 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

Educational  Advantages  Forty  Years  Ago 
and  Now. 


METHODIST  SEMINARIES,  FEMALE  COLLEGES, 
AND  ACADEMIES. 

UR  Church  had,  in  all  her  borders,  but 
five  seminaries  and  academies  forty 
years  ago.  Two  of  these  were  in  New 
England,  and  three  in  New  York.  "  The  Wilbra- 
ham  Academy,"  in  Massachusetts,  was  founded 
in  1826,  and  the  "Maine  Wesleyan  Seminary," 
at  Kent's  Hill,  a  few  years  later.  Those  in 
New  York  were  the  "  East  Genesee  Confer- 
ence Seminary,"  at  Ovid,  founded  in  1824;  the 
"  Central  New  York  Conference  Seminary,"  at 
Cazenovia,  established  in  1825  ;  and  the  "Grif- 
fith Institute,"  at  Springfield,  established  in 
1829.  The  "  Newbury  Seminary,"  in  Vermont, 
was  not  founded  until  1833. 

The  first  academic  institution  of  the  Meth- 
odists in  this  country  was  established  at  South 
New  Market,  N.  H.,  in  the  year  1817.  For 


160  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

several  years  it  enjoyed  a  good  degree  of  pros- 
perity. In  it  "  Father  Taylor,"  of  "  Seamen's 
Bethel "  fame,  Amos  Binney,  and  others  of  note 
in  the  ministry,  were  once  scholars.  Martin 
Ruter,  D.D.,  was  its  first  principal.  This  school 
in  a  few  years  was  transferred  to  Wilbraham, 
Mass.  The  building  is  now  occupied  as  a 
dwelling-house  and  store.  Now  there  are  under 
the  patronage  of  this  same  Church  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  academies  and  seminaries  in 
different  parts  of  our  country,  manned  by  eight 
hundred  professors,  and  enrolled  on  their  cata- 
logues are  not  less  than  twenty-two  thousand 
students.  Some  two  million  dollars  are  in- 
vested in  the  buildings,  apparatus,  and  books 
connected  therewith.  Thousands  have  gone 
forth  from  them  into  various  useful  avoca- 
tions of  business  life,  to  bless  mankind  with 
their  influence.  Thousands  more  are  seeking 
preparation  in  them  for  future  and  extensive 
usefulness. 

One  marked  characteristic  of  these  schools 
is,  that  each  year,  in  most  or  all  of  them,  gra- 
cious revivals  of  religion  are  enjoyed,  when 
large  numbers  of  our  precious  youth  consecrate 
their  hearts  and  lives  to  Christ,  and  thus  seek 
not  only  mental  but  moral  and  Christian  fitness 
for  their  life-work. 


Educational  Advantages.  161 

We  will  consider  next  the  number  and  con- 
dition of  our 

COLLEGES  AND  UNIVERSITIES  THEN  AND  NOW. 

In  New  England  Methodism  had,  forty  years 
ago,  the  Wesleyan  University,  at  Middletown, 
Conn.  It  was  then  in  its  infancy,  having  been 
established  but  one  year.  Its  origin  is  of  spe- 
cial interest  to  all  lovers  of  education  among  us. 
It  was  on  this  wise :  The  buildings  had  been 
owned  and  occupied  by  "  The  Middletown  Lit- 
erary and  Scientific  Society,"  and  were  valued  at 
thirty  thousand  or  forty  thousand  dollars.  It  was 
offered  to  the  New  England  and  New  York  Con- 
ferences, on  condition  that  they  would  add  to  it 
forty  thousand  dollars  more,  and  thereby  estab- 
lish a  University.  The  offer  was  gladly  ac- 
cepted, and  the  money  soon  raised.  The  late 
Wilbur  Fisk,  D.D.,  of  blessed  memory,  then 
principal  of  the  Wilbraham  Academy,  who  had 
been  greatly  instrumental  in  raising  the  requi- 
site funds,  was  elected  its  first  president. 

Just  forty  years  ago  two  other  colleges  were 
brought  under  the  control  of  our  Church,  name- 
ly, Dickinson  College,  at  Carlisle,  Pa.,  with  J.  P. 
Durbin,  D.D.,  at  its  head,  and  the  Alleghany 
College,  at  Meadville,  Pa.,  with  Martin  Ruter, 

D.D.,  for  its  first  president. 
11 


1 62  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

Before  these  colleges  came  into  being  our 
Church  labored  under  great  disadvantages,  and 
graduated  but  few  of  her  sons.  Some  had  en- 
tered colleges  where  denominational  prejudices 
were  strong  against  our  ecclesiastical  organ- 
ization and  doctrines.  Having  been  nurtured 
by  Methodist  parents,  they  became  disgusted 
with  their  sectarian  surroundings,  and  left  be- 
fore graduating,  or  became  alienated  from  the 
Church  of  their  early  preferences,  and  when 
graduating  gave  their  influence  to  other  denom- 
inations, or  became  lost  to  all  Church  attach- 
ments. 

Only  here  and  there  could  be  found  one  who 
endured  all  these  fiery  ordeals,  to  which  he  was 
subjected  on  account  of  his  Church  preferences, 
and  graduated  true  to  his  earlier  convictions  of 
truth  and  duty.  Indeed,  our  Methodist  fathers 
were  strongly  prejudiced  against  college-made 
ministers,  as  they  called  them,  believing  that 
men  truly  called  of  God,  and  endowed  with 
power  from  on  high,  would,  with  proper  care 
and  study,  •  whether  highly  educated  or  not, 
make  better  ministers  than  self-called  or  col- 
lege-educated ones. 

With  these  prejudices  and  embarrassments 
in  their  way,  they  were  not  forward  to  send 
their  sons  to  college.  Can  it.  therefore,  be  any 


Educational  Advantages*  163 

great  marvel  that  the  denomination  had  no 
more  college  graduates  in  her  ministry  and 
membership  ? 

What  a  favorable  change  has  been  wrought 
in  these  educational  interests  during  these  past 
forty  years !  We  have  now  twenty-eight  col- 
leges and  universities,  conveniently  located  in 
different  sections  of  our  Church-membership, 
some  of  which  are  being  richly  endowed  by  our 
men  of  "  princely  wealth,"  and  by  the  equally 
generous  and  noble  contributions  of  the  men 
and  women  of  less  financial  ability.  The  last 
sprang  into  being  as  if  by  magic.  "  The  Bos- 
ton University"  takes  its  origin  from  the  heart 
and  brain  of  the  late  Isaac  Rich,  Esq.,  who  has 
left  for  it  the  ample  endowment  of  one  million 
dollars.  It  has  its  departments  of  "  theology," 
"law,"  and  "music"  already  established,  and  its 
magnificent  destiny  and  usefulness  are  made 
sure. 

These  institutions  are  manned  by  more  than 
two  hundred  professors,  who  have  educated  for 
future  usefulness  and  graduated  some  thou- 
sands of  young  men  who  are  now  occupying, 
with  rare  exceptions,  important  positions  in 
society,  and  exerting  a  wide-spreading  and 
salutary  influence  in  the  world. 

These  two  hundred  professors,  have  now  un- 


164   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

der  their  careful  training  more  than  six  thou- 
sand students,  who  are  soon  to  go  forth  to 
occupy  equally  important  positions,  in  the 
Church  and  out  of  it,  with  those  who  had  grad- 
uated before  them.  A  powerful  influence  for 
good  is  being  widely  felt  and  acknowledged  by 
all  observers,  in  a  higher  state  of  mental  culture 
and  social  position,  in  our  own  and  other  Chris- 
tian Churches. 

FEMALE    COLLEGES. 

Special  attention  has  been  directed,  also, 
within  the  past  forty  years,  by  our  Church  to 
female  education.  In  the  list  of  educational 
institutions  given  in  this  chapter  more  than 
twenty  were  chartered  as  female  colleges,  and 
various  others  are  connected  with  our  acade- 
mies and  seminaries,  where  large  numbers  of 
ladies  have  been  educated  in  all  the  branches 
of  learning  required,  who  have  graduated  with 
college  honors.  They  are  found  every-where 
and  in  all  departments  of  useful  life.  They  are 
teachers  in  common  and  high  schools,  in  semi- 
naries and  colleges.  They  are  editors  of  peri- 
odicals and  authors  of  books — missionaries  in 
domestic  and  foreign  fields.  But  more  are  in 
our  best  families,  exerting  their  comparatively 
silent  but  salutary  influence  in  their  respective 


Educational  Advantages.  165 

home  circles.  Several  male  colleges  of  high  re- 
pute have  of  late  yielded  to  the  pressing  de- 
mands which  have  been  brought  to  bear  upon 
them,  and  opened  their  doors  for  the  admission 
and  education  of  women,  and  to  all  the  benefits 
and  honors  within  their  gift.  Others  will  soon 
follow  the  good  example  thus  set  them — a  meas- 
ure which  an  enlightened  public  sentiment  will 
yet  heartily  approve. 

Our  Church  has  also  at  her  command  a 
funded  capital,  for  educational  purposes,  of  not 
less  than  $100,000,  which  is  committed  to  the 
care  of  an  able  board  of  trustees  appointed  by  the 
General  Conference,  and  held  by  them  in  trust 
for  the  purpose  of  aiding  our  Church  educa- 
tional interests  in  the  different  parts  of  our 
widely-extended  Zion. 

There  has  been  an  evident  demand  for  years 
past  for  a  more  efficient  plan  and  better  system- 
atized financial  equality  in  sustaining  these  in- 
stitutions, and  a  more  elevated  position  in  our 
educational  matters  than  has  heretofore  ex- 
isted. Such  a  want,  it  is  hoped,  will  be  met 
in  the  provisions  made  at  our  last  General 
Conference  for,  and  the  appointment  of,  a  Secre- 
tary of  Education,  to  devote  his  entire  time  and 
talents  to  the  one  business  of  guiding  and 
guarding  these  great  Church  interests. 


1 66  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

With  great  unanimity  our  General  Conference 
elected  to  this  office  that  learned  and  efficient 
educator,  E.  O.  Haven,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  of  the 
North-western  Wesleyan  University.*  It  is  the 
verdict  of  the  Church  that  he  is  "  the  right  man 
in  the  right  place  "  for  raising  the  standard  of 
education  and  of  imparting  new  life  into  the 
various  departments  of  our  educational  interests. 

The  progress  already  made  in  endowing  and 
sustaining  our  denominational  schools,  it  is  be- 
lieved, has  not  been  surpassed  if  equaled  by 
any  other  denomination  of  Christians  in  this 
country. 

We  come  now  to  compare  the  difference  in 
the  sentiment  and  condition  of  our  Church  with 
reference  to 

THEOLOGICAL  INSTITUTIONS    THEN   AND   NOW. 

Our  denomination  had  no  theological  schools 
within  her  borders  forty  years  ago.  Her  pre- 
vailing sentiment  was  entirely  against  ever 
establishing  them. 

But  it  must  not  be  inferred  from  this  that  our 
young  ministers  had  no  "  theological  "  training. 
Far  from  this.  There  was  a  "  course  of  study  " 
ordered  by  each  annual  conference  which  all, 

*  See  General  Conference  Records  of  1872. 


Educational  Advantages.  167 

on  their  two  years'  probation  in  the  conference, 
were  required  to  study  most  thoroughly.  It 
embraced  the  "  Doctrines  of  the  Bible,"  "  Church 
Government,"  "  Church  History,"  and  English 
branches. 

Our  text-books  for  careful  study  were  the 
Bible,  "  Wesley's  Sermons,"  "  Watson's  Insti- 
tutes," "  Fletcher's  Checks,"  "  Watson's  Dic- 
tionary," "  Ruter's  Church  History,"  "  The 
Methodist  Discipline,"  and  some  other  books. 
This  "  course  "  demanded  of  our  young  ministers 
a  thorough  application  of  their  time  and  talents. 

He  who  could  pass  a  satisfactory  examination 
in  every  particular,  at  the  termination  of  his 
two  years'  "  course','  before  a  "  committee  of  ex- 
amination," consisting  of  the  wisest  heads  and 
closest  critics  in  the  conference,  was  regarded 
quite  fortunate.  To  be  successful  he  was 
obliged  to  study  late  and  early  in  his  temporary 
homes  ;  and  having  "  no  certain  abiding  place," 
together  with  his  constant  change  of  circum- 
stances, his  mode  of  travel,  his  needed  prepa- 
rations for  the  Sabbath,  and  numerous  inter- 
ruptions from  study  in  various  ways,  he  was 
compelled  to  resort  also,  at  times,  to  barns,  or 
shade-trees,  or  the  thicker  forests — "  God's  first 
temple  " — to  pursue  his  studies. 

At  the  close  of  my  first  year  in  conference 


1 68  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

I  attended  its  annual  session  and  listened  to 
the  examination  of  the  class  of  that  year,  and 
found  it  to  be  exceedingly  rigid.  Several  whom 
I  had  supposed  to  be  well  prepared  for  exami- 
nation were  pronounced  by  the  committee  to 
be  "deficient,"  and  were  put  over  to  another 
year  for  re-examination.  This  alarmed  me^ 
causing  me  to  quicken  my  efforts  in  order  to 
be  prepared  for  my  "day  of  trial,"  lest  I  too 
should  share  a  similar  fate. 

When  my  day  came  the  committee,  to  my 
unspeakable  relief,  pronounced  my  examination 
"  satisfactory,"  and  I  was  admitted  to  full  mem- 
bership in  the  conference.  I  have  never  re- 
gretted this  thorough  drill  of  those  two  years 
in  that  "  old-fashioned "  theological  school  of 
earlier  Methodism. 

About  this  time  the  subject  of  "  theological 
schools  "  of  the  modern  kind  began  to  be  agi- 
tated in  the  Church.  It  met  with  marked  op- 
position from  most  of  our  ministers  and  members. 
Some  prophesied  if  Methodism  established  them 
"  her  glory  would  depart  "  from  her,  and  "  Icha- 
bod  be  written  on  her  walls."  Such  schools 
were  contemptuously  denominated  "  minister 
mills,"  and  their  graduates  "  men-made  minis- 
ters," which  the  mills  ground  out. 

As  the  subject  continued  to  be  agitated  new 


Educational  Advantages.  169 

advocates  continued  to  increase  in  their  favor, 
especially  in  the  New  England  conferences  ; 
but  in  the  South  and  West  the  opposition  con- 
tinued for  a  much  longer  time.  I  well  remem- 
ber the  opposition  of  a  General  Conference 
officer,  a  member  of  the  "  old  Baltimore  Con- 
ference," who  visited  ours.  By  invitation  he 
preached  to  us.  In  the  course  of  his  sermon 
he  uttered,  apparently  with  great  delight,  the 
following  sentiment,  in  nearly  these  words  :  "  I 
have  heard,"  said  he,  "  of  a  wonderful  thing  un- 
der the  sun.  I  have  heard  that  men  take  the 
pure  Gospel  seed  and  carry  it  to  a  '  theological 
mill,'  and  get  it  ground  to  fine  flour,  and  then 
sow  it  over  the  people,  and  wonder  why  it 
doesn't  spring  up  and  '  bear  fruit.'  "  This  I 
considered  to  be  the  echo  of  the  opposition  in 
the  South  and  West  to  the  new  ideas  advocated 
by  some  of  our  best  minds  in  New  England. 

Dr.  Abel  Stevens  had  then  returned  from  his 
visit  to  the  "  Wesleyan  Theological  School,"  at 
Hoxton,  in  England,  and  had  become  an  enthu- 
siastic admirer  of  its  order,  which  he  regarded 
as  "almost  divine,"  and  it  had  "set  his  heart 
on  fire,"  and  he  determined  to  encourage  the 
plan  in  America.  Also,  Dr.  Stephen  Olin  vis- 
ited the  same  school  with  similar  effect.  So 
also  did  Dr.  Wilbur  Fisk,  who  determined  to 


170  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

open  a  "  theological  department "  in  the  uni- 
versity of  which  he  was  president.  Such  a 
department,  in  the  midst  of  great  opposition, 
was  opened  in  the  year  1838,  and  it  continued 
to  be  open  for  theological  students  for  the 
space  of  four  or  five  years,  when  other  means 
for  theological  training  were  provided. 

The  opposition  in  New  England  so  far  gave 
way  that  the  trustees  of  Newbury  Seminary, 
in  the  year  1843,  opened  a  theological  depart- 
ment therein,  and  invited  Rev.  Prof.  Will- 
iam M.  Willett  to  become  its  first  president 
and  teacher  of  Hebrew  and  sacred  literature. 
This  post  he  accepted  and  creditably  filled.  In 
the  year  1845  John  Dempster,  D.D.,  became 
connected  with  the  institute.  It  was  soon  re- 
moved to  Concord,  N.  H.,  and  established  on 
a  much  larger  scale,  where  it  continued  for 
some  twenty  years  in  successful  operation, 
and  then  was  removed  to  Boston,  where  it  has 
become  more  richly  endowed,  and  is  now  a 
theological  department  in  the  "  Boston  Univer- 
sity," manned  by  a  strong  board  of  theological 
professors. 

Our  Church  has  also  one  in  the  West — the 
Garrett  Theological  Seminary,  at  Evanston,  111. ; 
another  in  New  Jersey — the  Drew  Theological 
Seminary;  and  one  in  the  South — the  Clark 


Educational  A  dvantages.  171 

Theological  Seminary,  at  Atlanta,  S.  C.,  with 
Rev.  J.  W.  Lee  at  its  head. 

At  these  institutions  from  two  hundred  and 
fifty  to  three  hundred  young  men,  who  claim 
to  be  called  of  God  to  the  work  of  the  Chris- 
tian ministry,  are  being  prepared,  mentally  and 
spiritually,  for  the  commencement  of  their  im- 
portant life-work.  Hundreds  more  have  been 
educated  in  them  who  are  now  doing  efficient 
service,  at  home  and  in  the  foreign  fields,  in  the 
various  departments  of  the  Lord's  vineyard. 

PERIODICAL  LITERATURE  THEN  AND  NOW. 

American  Methodism,  forty  years  ago,  had 
under  her  patronage  and  control  our  excellent 
"  Quarterly  Review,"  with  a  limited  circulation, 
mostly  among  the  preachers.  It  had  been 
published  fifteen  years.  We  had  our  official 
weekly  organ — "  The  Christian  Advocate  and 
Journal" — which  had  been  established  seven 
or  eight  years,  and  one  semi-official  weekly — 
"The  Zion's  Herald" — published  in  Boston, 
Mass.  This  was  established  in  1823,  and 
therefore  is  the  oldest  Methodist  weekly  peri- 
odical in  the  world.  I  think  these  embrace  the 
entire  list  of  our  periodicals  forty  years  ago. 

What  an  astonishing  change  has  taken  place 
in  periodical  literature  since  then,  both  in  their 


172  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

number  and  quality!  "The  Quarterly  Review" 
has  been  much  enlarged  and  greatly  improved, 
and  its  circulation  extensively  increased.  "The 
Christian  Advocate  and  Journal"  is  much  en- 
larged and  improved,  with  a  circulation  far 
more  extensive  than  then.  So  also  has  that 
older  New  England  organ — "Zion's  Herald" — 
not  only  changed  its  size  and  form,  but  has  a 
vastly  wider  circulation  than  in  its  more  youth- 
ful days. 

Besides  these,  we  have  nine  weekly  official 
"Christian  Advocates"  published  from  the 
different  presses  of  the  denomination  in  the 
various  localities  of  the  country.  "  Zion's 
Herald,"  though  never  dependent  on  the  funds 
of  our  Book  Concern  for  support,  has  had 
from  its  youth  a  large  and  vigorous  growth, 
and  now,  near  the  close  of  its  half  century, 
is  loved  and  honored  as  equal  at  least  to 
the  best  weekly  Methodist  periodicals  of  the 
Church.  There  are  several  other  semi-official 
and  official  periodicals,  owned  by  members  of 
our  Church,  and  patronized  mainly  by  the  de- 
nomination, which  have  extensive  circulation  in 
the  country. 

Of  monthly  magazines,  there  is  the  "  Ladies' 
Repository,"  with  its  extensive  circulation 
throughout  the  country.  It  is  justly  termed 


Educational  Advantages.  173 

"  The  Queen  of  the  Monthlies."  It  is  published 
at  Cincinnati,  O.,  and  has  reached  its  thirty- 
eighth  volume.  "  The  Golden  Hours,"  another 
monthly,  also  published  at  the  Western  Book 
Room,  is  a  first-class  illustrated  work  for  juve- 
niles. The  last  General  Conference  also  author- 
ized, conditionally,  the  publication  of  a  "  Literary 
Monthly  Magazine  "  in  Boston,  Mass.,  which  is 
soon  to  appear  before  the  reading  public. 

Besides  the  "  Sunday-School  Advocate,"  a 
child's  paper,  now  ordered  to  be  a  weekly,  hav- 
ing a  circulation  of  more  than  three  hundred 
thousand  copies — the  largest  circulation  of  any 
like  publication  in  the  world — we  have  the 
"  Sunday-School  Journal,"  for  adults,  "  The 
Sunday-School  Bell,"  in  the  German,  and  the 
"  Sunday-School  Messenger,"  in  the  Swedish 
languages,  "The  Missionary  Advocate,"  and 
"  The  Good  News."  All  these  periodicals  can- 
not fail  to  produce  a  powerful  influence  for  good 
on  vast  numbers  of  the  people  of  our  country. 

What  marvelous  improvements  in  our  literary 
advantages  in  the  past  forty  years  ! 


174  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
Methodism  and  the  Abolition  of  Slavery. 

fHE  question  of  the  immediate  abolition  of 
slavery  in  the  United  States  was  scarcely 
agitated  in  our  Church  or  in  the  country 
by  any  class  of  people  forty  years  ago.  Al- 
though there  were  some  three  millions  of  men, 
women,  and  children  held  in  abject  bondage, 
recognized  in  law  as  mere  goods'  and  chattels, 
and  although  there  were  some  thousands  of 
these  held  by  southern  members  of  the  said 
Church,  yet  these  facts  seemed  to  awaken  no 
serious  alarm  among  our  people,  even  in  the 
Northern  States. 

In  the  South,  Methodist  slaveholders  sought 
to  justify  themselves  by  claiming  that  under 
certain  circumstances  the  Bible  sanctioned  the 
holding  of  slaves.  The  laws  of  their  States 
allowed  and  shielded  them  in  it,  and  the  Dis- 
cipline of  the  Church  threw  around  them  its 
arms  of  protection. 

The  northern  members  seemed  to  feel  that  it 


The  Abolition  of  Slavery.  175 

was  enough  that  the  Church,  from  her  origin, 
had  recorded  her  decided  verdict  against  the 
institution,  and  therefore  it  was  the  wisest  pol- 
icy to  let  it  take  its  own  course  in  our  Church 
under  their  humane  masters  and  the  ameliorat- 
ing influence  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  This  was 
the  position,  as  I  understand  it,  taken  by  a  ma- 
jority of  her  ministers  and  members  on  this 
subject  forty  years  ago. 

In  its  confirmation  I  give  the  following  ex- 
tract from  high  authority :  "  The  course  pur- 
sued by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
from  the  beginning  of  her  existence,  in  refer- 
ence and  in  opposition  to  slavery,  as  it  has 
all  along  existed  in  the  United  States,  proves 
that  she  has  always  considered  it  an  evil  not  to 
be  tolerated,  except  under  given  circumstances, 
and  that  such  circumstances  exist  in  some  por- 
tions of  our  Union,  where  such  severe  penal 
laws  have  been  enacted  against  emancipation 
as  to  justify  her  in  holding  in  her  communion 
those  who  hold  slaves,  provided  they  are  other- 
wise pious.  That  this  was  her  doctrine  is  prov- 
able from  the  whole  course  of  her  proceeding, 
from  the  time  of  her  organization  in  1784. 

"  At  that  time  were  passed  the  severest  laws 
against  slavery  which  we  find  upon  record  at 
any  time  of  her  existence ;  but  even  these  aimed 


1 76  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

at  gradual,  and  did  not  insist  upon  immediate 
emancipation  ;  yet  finding  upon  experiment  that 
these  severe  rules  could  not  be  carried  into  ex- 
ecution without  producing  greater  evil  than  that 
•which  it  was  designed  to  remove,  in  about  six 
months  after  they  were  passed  they  were  sus- 
pended and  have  never  been  revived,  nor  were 
they  ever  inserted  in  the  Discipline. 

"  At  almost  every  General  Conference  some 
enactment  has  been  made  for  the  purpose  of 
regulating  slavery,  of  modifying  or  of  mitigat- 
ing its  character,  with  a  view  ultimately,  if  prac- 
ticable, to  do  it  away.  This  has  been  the  doc- 
trine, and  these  have  been  the  measures  of  our 
Church  in  reference  to  this  most  difficult  and 
perplexing  subject ;  and  they  prove  incontesta- 
bly  that  she  does  not,  nor  has  at  any  time,  con- 
sidered slaveholding,  under  all  circumstances, 
of  such  a  deadly  character  as  to  'exclude  a  man 
from  the  kingdom  of  grace  and  glory.'  "  * 

I  think  this  expresses  the  general  verdict  of 
our  Church  on  the  subject  forty  years  ago.  It 
was  then  thought  to  be  just  as  high  an  anti- 
slavery  position  as  the  Church  could  sustain. 
But  it  is  not  the  strong,  high,  and  bold  verdict 
of  Methodism,  as  given  by  Wesley,  when  he 

*  Dr.  Bangs'  History  of  Methodism,  vol.  iv,  for  the  year 
1S36. 


The  Abolition  of  Slavery.  177 

declared  that  "  Men-buyers  are  exactly  on  a 
level  with  men-stealers  ;"  and  when  to  slave- 
holders he  said,  "  Thy  hands,  thy  bed,  thy  fur- 
niture, thy  house,  thy  lands  are  at  present 
stained  with  blood."  Nor  is  it  the  sentiment 
of  Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  who  said,  "  In  heathen 
countries  slavery  was  in  some  sort  excusable, 
but  among  Christians  it  is  an  enormity  and  a 
crime,  for  which  perdition  itself  has  scarcely  an 
adequate  state  of  punishment."  Nor  is  it  in 
accordance  with  the  verdict  of  Methodism  in 
1 780,  that  is,  four  years  before  our  Church  was  or- 
ganized, when  she  uttered  in  her  conference  the 
following  verdict  against  the  peculiar  institu- 
tion :  "  Slavery  is  contrary  to  the  laws  of  God, 
man,  and  nature,  hurtful  to  society,  contrary  to 
the  dictates  of  a  pure  conscience  and  pure  re- 
ligion, and  'doing  what  we  would  not  that 
others  should  do  unto  us.' "  And  they  passed 
their  disapprobation  upon  all  our  friends  who 
kept  slaves,  and  advised  their  freedom. 

When  the  Church  was  organized  in  1784  she 
adopted  the  following  rules :  "  Every  member 
of  our  societies  shall  legally  execute  and  record 
an  instrument  for  the  purpose  of  setting  every 
slave  in  his  possession  free  within  the  space  of 
two  years." 

Among  others  was  this  also  :  "  Ever)'  person 
12 


178  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

concerned  who  will  not  comply  with  these  rules 
shall  have  liberty  to  withdraw  from  our  Society 
within  the  twelve  months  following  the  notice 
being  given  aforesaid,  otherwise  the  assistant 
shall  exclude  him  from  the  Society." 

Again,  "  Those  who  buy  or  sell  slaves,  or  give 
them  away  unless  on  purpose  to  free  them, 
should  be  expelled  immediately." 

Such  was  the  verdict  of  Methodism  in  her 
early  days  ;  but  forty  years  ago  not  one  fourth 
part  of  the  article  in  the  Discipline  against  slav- 
ery, which  had  been  there  thirty-two  years  be- 
fore, remained.  The  General  Conferences  from 
time  to  time  had  so  modified  the'  terms  of 
membership,  and  widened  the  door  to  such  an 
extent,  that  slaveholders  could  easily  enter  and 
peacefully  stay  in  her  communion.  Hence  forty 
years  ago  slavery  had  acquired  a  strong  posi- 
tion in  the  Church  as  well  as  in  the  nation. 

This  was  our  sad  condition  as  a  Church  when 
the  abolition  agitation  began  among  us.  It 
first  took  strong  hold  upon  our  Methodism  in 
the  New  Hampshire  and  New  England  Confer- 
ences. The  large  majority  of  our  ministers  and 
lay  members  became  abolitionists  in  some  two 
years  after  the  agitation  began. 

In  the  year  1835,  when  our  delegates  to  the 
General  Conference  were  chosen  in  these  Con- 


The  Abolition  of  Slavery.  179 

ferences,  it  was  found  that  all  in  the  New 
Hampshire,  and  all  but  two  in  the  New  En- 
gland Conference,  were  abolitionists.  These 
constituted  "  the  immortal  fourteen,"  who  stood 
up  manfully  for  the  cause  in  the  midst  of  a 
powerful  opposition  in  the  General  Conference 
of  1836. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  that  year  two 
delegates,  both  members  of  the  New  Hampshire 
Conference,  Revs.  George  Storrs  and  Samuel 
Norris,  had  taken  the  liberty  to  go  into  an  anti- 
slavery  meeting  in  the  city  of  Cincinnati,  where 
its  session  was  held,  and  had  expressed  freely 
their  abolition  sentiments  therein,  for  which  act 
they  were  severely  censured  by  the  conference. 
Resolutions  of  censure  were  offered,  and,  after  a 
most  exciting  discussion,  were  almost  unani- 
mously adopted.  "  The  immortal  fourteen,"  as 
they  were  often  afterward  called,  and  these  only, 
stood  up  for  the  right,  and  answered  to  their 
names  when  called  by  their  emphatic  nays 
against  the  unjust  action.  This  resolution  re- 
mained on  its  journal  till  1868,  when,  in  the 
General  Conference  of  that  year,  Rev.  L.  D. 
Barrows,  D.D.,  as  chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  the  State  of  the  Church,  presented  a  resolu- 
tion to  expunge  it  from  the  records,  which  was 
adopted. 


i8o  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

So  fearfully  ran  the  excitement  in  the  Gen- 
eral Conference  of  1836,  that  some  of  the  mem- 
bers of  that  body  feared,  or  at  least  claimed  to 
fear,  that  the  gross  offense  of  the  offending  two 
would  be  the  cause  of  creating  a  mob,  and  thus 
bring  their  great  ecclesiastical  council  into  dis- 
repute. The  censured  members,  however,  sur- 
vived the  shock,  and  antislaveryism  continued 
to  spread  more  and  more  both  in  and  out  of 
the  Church,  though  its  advocates  were  pro- 
scribed, and  all  manner  of  efforts  were  put  forth 
to  cause  them  to  "  cease  agitating  the  subject." 

The  position  of  affairs  in  the  Church  on  this 
subject  at  that  time  is  correctly  set  forth  in 
the  following  extract  from  a  letter  written  by 
one  of  "  the  immortal  fourteen  "  above  referred 
to  :  "  Respecting  the  origin  of  abolitionism  in 
the  Church,"  says  he,  "  I  distinctly  recollect 
that  O.  Scott,  Geo.  Storrs,  J.  Horton,  and  L. 
Sunderland  were  in  the  field  as  lecturers,  and 
led  the  van  among  the  Methodists,  accompanied 
by  J.  A.  Merrill,  P.  Crandall,  J.  F.  Adams, 
Elihu  Scott,  A.  D.  Merrill,  and  other  less 
prominent  but  effective  workers  in  the  cause. 
These  were  contemporaries  with  Wm.  L.  Garri- 
son, J.  Leavitt,  J.  G.  Birney,  Garret  Smith,  and 
others  of  note,  for  a  year  or  two  previous  to 
the  General  Conference  of  1836.  Till  then  the 


The  Abolition  of  Slavery.  181 

abolitionists  in  the  Church  had  been  confined 
to  New  England.  The  two  conferences — New 
Hampshire  and  New  England — had  acquired  a 
majority,  and  chose  abolition  delegates  to,  that 
conference. 

Here,  for  the  first  time,  abolitionism  became 
a  disturbing  element  in  the  counsels  of  the 
highest  judicatory  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Though  their  number  was  small,  their 
heroism  having  been  tested  in  their  own  annual 
conferences,  their  influence  was  felt  in  debate 
on  the  floor  of  the  General  Conference.  In 
attempting  to  crush  them  by  a  sweeping  reso- 
lution denouncing  "  modern  abolitionism,"  four- 
teen voters  stood  up  to  record  their  names  in 
opposition. 

It  seems  difficult,  even  at  this  short  space  of 
time  since  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  nation, 
to  realize  the  kind  and  degree  of  prejudice  that 
then  prevailed  against  the  abolitionists.  They 
were  supposed  to  be  composed  of  about  equal 
parts  of  fanaticism  and  insanity,  which  was 
deemed  a  sufficient  reason  for  commanding  them, 
by  the  authorities  of  the  Church,  to  "  wholly  re- 
frain" from  agitating  the  subject  of  slavery, 
for  restricting  them  in  the  prestige  of  their 
appointments  in  the  conference,  and  in  prevent- 
ing others  from  becoming  members  at  all,  which 


1 82  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

was  repeatedly  done  without  any  disguise  be- 
cause of  their  abolitionism.  But  they  were  not 
charged  with  any  moral  wrong,  and,  therefore, 
not  subjects  of  any  judicial  punishment ;  but 
were  looked  upon,  rather,  with  a  kind  of  pitiful 
detestation,  akin  to  that  which  the  community 
feel  toward  the  Mormons  or  the  soul-blighting 
annihilationists.  Hence,  while  the  General 
Conference  could  condemn  abolitionism,  and 
vote  a  strong  disapproval  of  her  members  at- 
tending abolition  prayer-meetings,  their  chief 
speakers  were  very  earnest  to  disclaim  any  im- 
putation against  the  motives  of  their  trouble- 
some opponents  ;  and  while  wishing  them  in 
heaven,*  to  get  them  out  of  their  way,  they 
explicitly  acknowledged  that  they  believed  that 
they  were  well  prepared  for  that  place,  f 

After  that  General  Conference  the  agitation 
went  on  increasing  more  and  more,  East,  West, 
North,  and  South,  both  in  the  Church  and  out 
of  it,  and  the  more  the  question  was  agitated 
the  more  the  sentiments  of  "  modern  abolition- 
ists "  gained  volume,  force,  and  respectful  atten- 
tion among  high-minded  and  humane  people. . 

*  See  pamphlet  entitled  "Debates  on  Modern  Abolitionism" 
in  General  Conference  of  1836. 

f  Letter  by  Rev.  S.  Norria  to  the  author,  dated  August  5, 
J872. 


The  Abolition  of  Slavery.  183 

In  1844  the  General  Conference  held  its  ses- 
sion in  New  York,  when  the  delegates  struck  a 
severe  blow  against  slaveholding  in  our  Church 
in  several  ways  ;  one  of  which  was  in  the  con- 
firmation by  that  body  of  the  verdict  of  the  Bal- 
timore Conference  by  which  they  expelled  Rev. 
F.  A.  Harding  from  their  communion  on  ac- 
count of  his  having  been  found  to  be  a 
slaveholder. 

Another  blow  struck  against  "  the  peculiar 
institution,"  and  slaveholding  by  the  Church, 
was  in  the  verdict  which  that  body  pronounced 
against  Bishop  Andrew,  who  had  (by  his  wife) 
become  virtually  a  slaveholder.  A  resolution 
was  offered  requesting  him  to  cease  his  official 
relation  as  a  bishop  in  the  Church  while  he  held 
slaves.  The  resolution  was  discussed  by  pro- 
slavery  and  antislavery  members  for  days  to- 
gether with  great  ability  and  warmth,  the  Bor- 
der and  Middle  States  men  taking  strong  anti- 
slavery  ground,  rendering  it  a  matter  of  policy 
for  the  so-called  "  modern  abolitionists  "  to  be 
comparatively  quiet,  and  for  those  who  had  been 
regarded  not  so  radical  to  carry  on  the  ag- 
gressive warfare  they  had  so  manfully  com- 
menced. 

The  resolution  of  censure  at  length  passed 
by  a  large  majority,  which  produced  a  fearful 


184   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

excitement  and  alienation  among  the  southern 
members  and  their  pro-slavery  friends.  They 
immediately  struck  for  Church  division,  a  vir- 
tual secession  from  the  parent  Church.  A  con- 
ditional plan  for  the  division  was  immediately 
offered  to  that  body,  and  after  much  discussion 
agreed  upon,  by  which  nearly  half  a  million 
ministers  and  lay  members  went  off  and  formed 
what  was  and  now  is  called  "The  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South,"  though  the  conditions 
of  the  plan  were  never  complied  with. 

This  measure  was  a  severe  blow,  struck  by 
the  South  to  weaken  the  bonds  of  our  national 
union  of  States,  leaving  the  southern  Church 
free  from  the  restraints  of  antislavery  to  become 
more  and  more  radical  in  their  pro-slavery  posi- 
tion, and  also  the  Methodists  in  the  North,  with 
but  few  slaves  and  less  slaveholders,  to  exert  a 
stronger  antislavery  influence,  and  greater  free- 
dom to  pursue  their  onward  march  to  final 
victory. 

Soon  the  Methodist  Church  became  so  thor- 
oughly antislavery,  even  abolition,  in  sentiment 
that  the  verdict  of  her  annual  and  General  Con- 
ferences was  decidedly  in  condemnation  of  the 
"  peculiar  institution,"  though  some  slaveholders 
still  were  suffered  to  retain  their  relation  to  the 
Church. 


The  Abolition  of  Slavery.  185 

In  1 86 1  the  South  struck  another  blow — a 
fatal  one — against  their  own  cherished  institu- 
tion by  raising  its  rebellious  arms  against  the 
Northern  States.  This  aroused  the  spirit  of 
loyalty  and  freedom  in  the  North,  and  with  the 
colored  people  of  the  South,  when,  with  all 
other  good  citizens,  loyal  Methodism  performed 
an  honorable  and  heroic  part  in  providing  our 
country  with  soldiers  for  our  defense,  nurses  for 
our  hospitals,  sanitary  provisions  for  our  sick 
and  wounded,  and  in  offering  her  prayers  to 
heaven  for  the  victory  of  our  arms. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  then  our  wise  and  observ- 
ant chief  magistrate,  and  now  lamented  ex- 
President,  bore  this  honorable  and  deserved 
testimony  of  our  Church  at  the  time  :  "  Nobly 
sustained  as  the  government  has  been  by  all 
the  Churches,  I  would  utter  nothing  which 
might  in  the  least  appear  invidious  against  any. 
Yet  without  this,  it  may  fairly  be  said  that  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  not  less  devoted 
than  the  best,  is,  by  its  greater  numbers,  the 
most  important  of  all. 

"  It  is  no  fault  in  others  that  the  Methodist 
Church  sent  more  soldiers  to  the  field,  more 
nurses  to  the  hospitals,  and  more  prayers  to 
heaven  than  any.  God  bless  the  Methodist 
Church  !  bless  all  the  Churches  !  and  blessed  be 


1 86  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now, 

God  •  who  in  this  great  trial  giveth  us  the 
Churches!"* 

In  1863  came  the  last  expiring  groans  of  the 
iniquitous  system  of  American  slavery  by  the 
lamented  President's  proclamation  of  freedom 
to  all  the  slaves  of  our  country,  by  which  the 
last  fetter  was  broken  off  from  every  bondman. 
It  was  then  "  Jehovah  had  triumphed  and  the 
negro  was  free." 

This  was  needful  to  save  the  country.  It 
gave  the  colored  race  a  powerful  motive  to  en- 
list in  the  bloody  strife  for  our  nation's  safety, 
and  also  a  new  impetus  to  all  loyal  hearts.  By 
it  our  Church  was  saved  from  further  debate  on 
the  abolition  question,  for  her  slave-bound  mem- 
bers were  raised  to  a  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
level  with  their  former  masters,  however  pleas- 
ant or  unpleasant  the  recognition  of  the  fact  to 
the  latter. 

Now  after  this  forty  years'  struggle  with  this 
"  abomination  of  desolation ;"  after  the  sad  havoc 
of  Churches,  and  doubtless  loss  of  souls  by  the 
southern  Church  secession  in  1844 ;  after  all 
the  strife  and  contention  arising  therefrom  in 
regard  to  Church  property  and  Church  terri- 

*  Extract  of  a  letter  by  President  Lincoln  to  the  General 
Confereuce  in  1864.  See  "  Stevens'  Centenary  of  Methodism," 
pp.  210,  211. 


The  Abolition  of  Slavery.  187 

tory  ;  after  the  terribly  bloody  war  of  rebellion, 
we  can  but  rejoice  to  find  the  colored  man  in 
our  State  and  national  Legislatures,  and  in 
other  high  governmental  positions.  We  find 
him,  also,  in  our  annual  conferences,  even  with 
whole  conferences  under  his  control  mainly, 
and  in  the  General  Conference,  taking  import- 
ant parts  in  debates,  and  taking  other  responsi- 
ble positions  in  its  business  matters. 

What  a  marvelous  change  in  these  forty  years 
past ! 


1 88  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
Lay  Delegation  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

tHERE  was  a  strong  prejudice  against  lay 
representation  in  the  General  and  Annual 
Conferences  forty  years  ago.  The  exciting 
discussions  on  the  subject  which  had  preceded, 
attended,  and  followed  the  different  secessions 
from  our  Church  had  awakened  great  opposition 
to  it  in  the  minds  of  those  who  were  reckoned 
among  her  most  loyal  and  worthy  members. 
There  were  then  "the  Reformed  Methodist" 
and  "the  Protestant  Methodist"  Churches, 
which  made  lay  representation  a  prominent 
feature  in  their  Church  polity.  A  bitter  spirit 
had  been  infused  into  these  new  denominations 
by  the  leading  seceders,  which  was  retained  for 
many  years.  Under  these  circumstances  it  was 
extremely  difficult  for  our  people  to  see  any 
special  advantages  which  could  result  from  a 
change  in  our  Church  polity,  especially  as  she 
was  constantly  making  more  rapid  progress 
than  were  the  seceding  Churches. 


Lay  Delegation.  1 89 

The  misnamed  Boston  "  Olive  Branch,"  their 
New  England  organ,  extended  no  "olive  branch" 
of  "peace  and  good  will"  to  us,  but  waged  a 
constant  warfare  against  our  form  of  Church 
government  and  its  advocates. 

Surrounded  with  such  opposing  influences,  it 
may  not  appear  strange  that  any  of  our  minis- 
ters or  lay  members  would  have  been  regarded 
as  disloyal  to  the  Church  of  their  choice  who 
could  be  found  advocating  the  introduction  of 
this  new  element  into  our  Church  government. 

A  few  years  later  we  witnessed  the  strife, 
heard  the  debates,  and  read  the  newspaper  con- 
troversies on  the  subject  connected  with  the  so- 
called  "  True  Wesleyan  Secession,"  when  a  large 
number  of  our  preachers  and  members  left  us 
and  organized  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church 
with  the  lay  element  in  its  polity.  By  this  se- 
cession some  of  our  Churches  were  entirely 
broken  up,  and  others  greatly  weakened.  Can 
there  be  any  wonder,  then,  that  our  true  and 
loyal  members,  seeing  these  results,  looked  upon 
lay  delegation  with  special  disfavor  ? 

These  stormy  discussions  and  adverse  scenes 
in  a  few  years  passed  away,  leaving  a  clearer 
sky  and  purer  atmosphere.  Our  people  then 
began  to  take  the  subject  into  more  candid  and 
careful  consideration,  when  it  became  apparent 


190   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

that  among  our  ministers  and  lay  members  were 
many  advocates  for  the  new  measure,  provided 
it  could  be  accomplished  without  Church  rup- 
tures and  in  brotherly  love.  This  sentiment 
gradually  increased  among  our  people.  New 
advocates,  truly  loyal  to  the  Church,  constant- 
ly appeared  publicly  vindicating  the  idea,  until 
"  the  leaven  "  of  lay  representation  was  found  to 
have  diffused  itself  through  the  whole  Church. 

Petitions,  numerously  signed,  were  sent  up 
to  each  succeeding  General  Conference,  until  it 
was  seen  to  be  the  general  voice  of  our  Church 
that  the  change  should  be  made  in  her  polity. 
These  petitions  were  carefully  considered  and 
judiciously  acted  upon  by  the  several  General 
Conferences. 

The  one  held  in  Chicago  in  1868  adopted 
the  following  "  Plan  "  for  the  action  of  the  lay 
members  and  the  Annual  Conferences  : 

PLAN  OF  LAY  DELEGATION  ADOPTED  BY  THE 
GENERAL  CONFERENCE. 

"Whereas,  the  General  Conference  of  1860 
expressed  its  willingness  to  admit  lay  delegates 
to  the  General  Conference  whenever  the  people 
should  desire  it  ;  and,  whereas,  the  General 
Conference  of  1864  concurred  in  that  action; 
therefore, 


Lay  Delegation.  191 

"  Resolved,  That  we  also  concur  in  the  same, 
and  recommend  the  following  plan  to  the  godly 
consideration  of  our  ministers  and  people. 

"Change  the  Discipline,  page  45,  part  ii, 
chapter  i,  section  i,  so  that  it  shall  read  as 
follows : 

"  Q.  Who  shall  compose  the  General  Con- 
ference, and  what  are  the  regulations  and 
powers  belonging  to  it  ? 

"  Ans.  i.  The  General  Conference  shall  be 
composed  of  ministerial  and  lay  delegates.  The 
ministerial  delegates  shall  consist  of  one  mem- 
ber for  every  thirty  members  of  each  annual 
conference,  to  be  appointed  either  by  seniority 
or  choice,  at  the  discretion  of  such  annual  con- 
ference, yet  so  that  such  representatives  shall 
have  traveled  at  least  four  full  calendar  years 
from  the  time  that  they  were  received  on  trial 
by  an  annual  conference,  and  are  in  full  con- 
nection at  the  time  of  holding  the  conference. 

"  The  lay  delegates  shall  consist  of  two  lay- 
men for  each  annual  conference,  except  such 
conferences  as  have  but  one  ministerial  dele- 
gate, which  conferences  shall  be  entitled  to  one 
lay  delegate. 

"  The  lay  delegates  shall  be  chosen  by  an 
electoral  conference  of  laymen,  which  shall  as- 
semble for  the  purpose  on  the  third  day  of  the 


192   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

session  of  the  annual  conference,  at  the  place 
of  its  meeting,  at  its  session  immediately  pre- 
ceding the  General  Conference.  The  electoral 
conference  shall  b6  composed  of  one  layman 
from  each  circuit  or  station  within  the  bounds 
of  the  annual  conference,  and,  on  assembling, 
the  electoral  conference  shall  organize  by  elect- 
ing a  chairman  and  secretary  of  their  own 
number  ;  such  laymen  to  be  chosen  by  the  last 
quarterly  conference  preceding  the  time  of  its 
assembling ;  provided,  that  no  layman  shall  be 
chosen  a  delegate  either  to  the  electoral  con- 
ference or  to  the  General  Conference  who  shall 
be  under  twenty-five  years  of  age,  or  who  shall 
riot  have  been  a  member  of  the  Church  in  full 
connection  for  the  five  consecutive  years  pre- 
ceding the  elections. 

"  After  Answer  3,  as  follows,  paragraph  46. 

"  Ans.  3.  At  all  times  when  the  General 
Conference  is  met  it  shall  take  two  thirds  of  the 
whole  number  of  ministers  and  lay  delegates  to 
form  a  quorum  for  transacting  business.  The 
ministerial  and  lay  delegates  shall  sit  and  de- 
liberate together  as  one  body,  but  they  shall 
vote  separately,  whenever  such  separate  vote 
shall  be  demanded  by  one  third  of  either  order, 
and  in  such  cases  the  concurrent  vote  of  both 
bodies  shall  be  necessary  to  complete  an  action. 


Lay  Delegation.  193 

"  Resolved,  That  during  the  month  of  June, 
1869,  on  any  day  except  the  Sabbath,  the  time 
to  be  determined  by  the  pastor  and  two  laymen 
appointed  by  the  quarterly  conference,  as  here- 
after provided,  there  shall  be  held  a  general 
election  in  the  several  places  of  worship  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  at  which  all 
members  in  full  connection,  and  not  less  than 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  shall  be  invited  to  vote 
by  ballot  'for  Lay  Delegation}  or  '  against  Lay 
Delegation' 

"  This  election  shall  be  held  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  preacher  in  charge,  and  two  laymen 
appointed  for  the  purpose  by  the  quarterly 
conference,  who  shall  see  that  due  notice  is 
given  thereof  for  at  least  twenty  days  before 
the  election,  and  who  shall  superintend  all  the 
details  of  the  election. 

"  They  shall  report  the  result  within  ten 
days  after  the  election  to  the  presiding  elder 
of  the  district,  who  shall  report  the  same 
to  the  bishop  presiding  at  the  ensuing  annual 
conference,  to  be  entered  upon  the  conference 
journal. 

"  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  bishops  presiding 
at  the  several  annual  conferences,  at  their  first 
sessions  after  the  above  elections,  to  lay  before 

those   bodies   the   following   proposed   amend- 
13 


194  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now, 

merits  to  the  second  restrictive  rule,  namely,  At 
the  end  of  line  third,  after  the  word  '  one ' 
insert  the  word  '  ministerial,'  (page  47  of  the 
Discipline,)  and  after  the  word  '  forty-five,'  line 
7,  same  page,  add  the  words,  '  nor  more  than 
two  lay  delegates  for  any  annual  conference,' 
and  to  report  the  result  to  the  next  General 
conference  as  amended,  so  that  as  amended  it 
shall  read  : 

"  '  They  shall  not  allow  of  more  than  one 
ministerial  representative  for  every  fourteen 
members  of  the  annual  conference,  nor  allow 
of  a  less  number  than  one  for  every  forty-five, 
nor  more  than  two  lay  delegates  for  any  annual 
conference.' 

"Resolved,  That  should  a  majority  of  the 
votes  cast  by  the  people  be  in  favor  of  Lay 
Delegation,  and  should  three  fourths  of  all  the 
members  of  the  annual  conferences  present  and 
voting  thereon  vote  in  favor  of  the  above  pro- 
posed change  in  the  constitution  of  the  Church, 
then  the  General  Conference  meeting  in  1872, 
by  the  requisite  two  thirds  vote,  can  complete 
the  change,  and  lay  delegates  previously  elected 
may  then  be  admitted." 

This  "Plan"  was  accordingly  submitted  to 
the  annual  conferences,  and  lay  membership, 


Lay  Delegation.  195 

according  to  its  provisions,  and  received  their 
required  sanction. 

The  quarterly  conferences  elected  their  dele- 
gates to  their  respective  "lay  electoral  confer- 
ences," which  met  according  to  the  prescribed 
"  Plan,"  and  each  elected  two  laymen  to  repre- 
sent it  in  the  next  General  Conference. 

This  ecclesiastical  council  of  our  Church 
most  cheerfully  opened  its  doors  for  their  re- 
ception, and  gave  them  its  hearty  welcome  as 
"  brethren  beloved,"  and  on  equal  terms  with 
the  ministerial  delegates.  Among  these  laymen 
were  seven  ex-governors,  two  United  States 
senators,  nine  judges  and  ex-judges,  two  college 
professors,  eleven  bankers,  and  many  lawyers, 
merchants,  physicians,  manufacturers,  and  farm- 
ers, all  of  whom  rendered  efficient  services  on 
committees  and  in  the  deliberations  and  de- 
cisions of  this,  our  highest  Church  tribunal. 

Many  who  looked  upon  this  measure  "with 
fear  and  trembling"  have  had  their  fears  re- 
moved, and  now  all  the  Church,  or  nearly  all, 
"  thank  God  and  take  courage,"  under  the  full 
conviction  that  "Lay  Delegation"  is  for  His 
glory  and  the  general  good  of  his  cause.  A 
happy  termination  is  this  of  many  years  of  loyal 
Christian  effort ! 


196  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Numerical,  Strength  of  Methodism  Forty 
Years  Ago  and  Now— General  Statistics 
Then  and  Now. 

fHE  numerical  strength  of  our  Church 
forty  years  ago  was  found  to  consist  of 
some  two  thousand  and  ten  preachers  and 
five  hundred  and  thirteen  thousand  one  hundred 
and  fourteen  members.  This  number  (of  course) 
included  all,  both  in  the  North  and  in  the 
South,  the  Church  then  not  having  been  di- 
vided. This  was  the  rapid  growth  of  sixty-six 
years,  that  is,  from  1766  (the  year  the  first  class 
was  formed,  which  consisted  of  five'  members) 
to  the  year  1832. 

When  we  take  into  consideration  the  facts 
that  these  five  were  Irish  emigrants  who  lived 
in  comparative  poverty  and  obscurity  in  New 
York  City  ;  the  constant  hinderances  thrown  in 
their  way  by  the  depleting  effects  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary war  and  the  war  of  1812  ;  the  poverty 
of  the  people  ;  the  strong  hold  other  and  older 
Churches  had  secured  ;  and  the  powerful  preju- 


General  Statistics.  197 

dices  which  had  been  created  in  the  public  mind 
against  Methodism,  we  must  regard  this  increase 
as  very  remarkable.  It  was  "  not  by "  human 
"  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord."  "  Paul  planted,  Apollos  watered,  but 
God  gave  the  increase."  Since  then  our  in- 
crease has  been  still  more  marvelous.  Now, 
after  forty  years,  the  Church  numbers  some  ten 
thousand  traveling  preachers  and  more  than  this 
number  of  local  preachers,  and  near  a  million 
and  a  half  of  lay  members. 

This  increase  has  been  secured  notwithstand- 
ing the  "  Southern  secession  "  of  near  half  a 
million  of  members  in  1844,  and  the  "True 
Wesleyan  secession  "  of  a  few  years  before.  In 
the  past  forty  years  her  increase  has  been  (after 
all  these  secessions)  about  one  million  members. 
This  is  a  more  steady  and  rapid  increase  than 
that  of  any  other  denomination  of  evangelical 
Christians  in  America.  Our  present  increase 
is  at  the  rate  of  one  thousand  seven  hundred 
per  week.  But  this  even  does  not  show  to  us 
all  the  numerical  force  of  Methodism  in  these 
United  States. 

If  we  reckon  the  members  of  all  the  different 
branches  of  Church  organizations  which  bear 
the  name  of  Methodist  in  this  country,  we  find 
a  numerical  strength  of  more  than  three  millions. 


198  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

These  have  all  sprung  from  one  head— John 
Wesley — and  are  all  one  in  doctrine,  though 
differing  in  some  features  of  Church  polity,  but 
are  yearly  becoming  more  closely  united  in  their 
fraternal  relations  to  each  other.  The  time  is 
looked  for,  by  many  careful  observers  of  "  the 
signs  of  the  times,"  when  the  entire  forces  of 
Methodism  in  our  country  shall  be  in  harmo- 
nious fellowship,  and  perhaps  embraced  in  one 
denominational  fold. 

There  is  no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  those  who 
have  an  opportunity  to  judge  impartially  that 
ten  millions,  or  one  fourth,  of  the  people  of 
these  United  States  have  their  preference  for, 
and  denominational  attachment  to,  Methodism. 
This  is  the  result  of  a  little  more  than  a  cen- 
tury of  sacrifice  and  toil  in  this  country. 

In  the  world  at  large  Methodism  numbers 
more  than  four  millions  of  lay  members,  and  more 
than  fifteen  millions  of  hearers,  though  her  en- 
tire history  covers  a  period  of  only  some  one 
hundred  and  thirty-three  years.  "What  hath 
God  wrought "  by  this  instrumentality  !  Even 
in  1860*  Dr.  Abel  Stevens'  estimate  of  Meth- 
odism numerically  was,  that  the  membership 
could  not  be  less  than  three  millions  when  all 
the  missionary  stations  were  included,  and 

*  See  "  Christian  Advocate  and  Journal,"  1860. 


General  Statistics,  199 

that  her  hearers  did  not  fall  far  below  twelve 
millions. 

Let  us  now  consider  our 

METHODISTIC      NUMERICAL      GROWTH      IN      THE 
NORTH-WEST. 

Although  the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi 
was  getting  to  be  a  stronghold  of  Methodism 
forty  years  ago,  yet  in  the  more  newly  settled 
portions  of  the  great  North-west  our  people  had 
then  but  a  feeble  beginning.  The  first  classes 
formed  in  Illinois  were  in  Plainfield  and  in  Ga- 
lena, in  the  year  1829.  The  first  in  Chicago 
was  in  1831.  This  was  the  third  class  formed 
in  Northern  Illinois.  The  first  church  edifice 
in  the  State  was  at  Galena,  just  forty  years  ago. 
The  first  sermon  ever  preached  in  Chicago  was 
by  a  Methodist  preacher  by  the  name  of  Isaac 
Scarritt,  in  the  year  1829. 

From  these  small  beginnings  Methodism  took 
a  wide  spread  throughout  the  North-west.  Rev. 
John  Sinclair,  who  was  appointed  to  the  Chicago 
District  in  1833,  and  had  spent  most  of  his  life  in 
the  State,  and  had  traveled  extensively,  says,  "  I 
never  yet  succeeded  in  reaching  a  new  settle- 
ment before  some  other  Methodist  minister  got 
in  before  me." 

So  rapid  has  been  the  progress  of  Methodism 


2OO  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

in  Illinois  for  the  past  forty  years,  that  in  1870* 
there  were  one  thousand  one  hundred  and  for- 
ty-five church  edifices,  one  hundred  and  ten 
thousand  four  hundred  and  ninety-nine  Church 
members,  and  one  thousand  six  hundred  and 
forty-one  Sunday-schools,  with  an  enrollment  of 
one  hundred  and  eighteen  thousand  five  hun- 
dred and  eighty-two  officers,  teachers,  and 
scholars. 

In  Michigan  the  same  year  there  were  four 
hundred  and  twenty-three  traveling  and  four 
hundred  and  seventy-five  local  preachers,  and  a 
Church  membership  of  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
two  thousand  four  hundred.  Other  parts  of 
the  North-west  are  being  filled  up  with  Meth- 
odists as  rapidly. 

OUR    GERMAN    WORK — THE    GROWTH    OF    FORTY 
YEARS. 

William  Nast,  an  educated,  talented,  and  en- 
terprising young  German  emigrant,  left  his 
'  fatherland  "  full  of  the  infidelity  of  his  native 
country,  and  sought  a  home,  as  did  many  others, 
in  the  United  States.  He  was  soon  awakened 
most  powerfully  to  feel  the  need  of  that  Saviour 
whom  he  had  persistently  rejected.  He  ear- 

*  See  Methodist  Almanac  for  1870. 


General  Statistics.  201 

nestly  sought  and  soon  found  him  whom  his 
soul  sought  after,  "  Jesus  of  Nazareth,"  by  whom 
he  was  divinely  regenerated  and  saved.  Soon 
he  began  to  proclaim  to  his  German  associates 
what  Christ  had  done  for  him,  and  to  invite 
them  to  come  and  "  taste  and  see  that  the  Lord 
is  good."  Thus,  almost  before  being  aware  of 
it,  he  began  to  preach  the  glorious  Gospel  of 
Christ  to  his  fellow-countrymen  in  their  own 
language. 

He  was  the  first  American  convert  from  "  the 
fatherland  "  among  the  Methodists  ;  at  least  the 
first  who  made  an  impression  on  the  German 
mind.  But  the  result,  in  this  case,  was  great 
and  glorious.  The  work  soon  spread  among 
them  with  great  rapidity  and  power.  German 
Methodist  preachers  have  been  raised  up  in 
large  numbers,  who  preach  the  word  of  life  to 
our  German  population,  while  others  have  gone 
back  to  their  "  fatherland  "  to  proclaim  the  good 
news  of  Gospel  grace  there.  A  foreign  mission 
was  commenced  there  in  1849  which  is  one  of 
our  most  fruitful  fields  in  any  foreign  land. 

We  have  now,  in  the  United  States  and  in 
Germany,  not  less  than  forty  thousand  German 
Church  members.  The  following  statement  of 
their  number  and  condition  is  from  a  German 
source : 


2O2  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

"  We  have  in  America  380  traveling  preach- 
ers ;  320  local  preachers ;  27,43 1  members ;  4,265 
probationers;  476  churches,  worth  $1,551,700; 
210  parsonages,  worth  $272,050;  564  Sunday- 
schools;  5,745  Sunday-schoolteachers;  28,473 
Sunday-school  scholars,  and  63,768  volumes  in 
libraries. 

"  In  Germany  and  Switzerland,  5  2  traveling 
preachers  ;  28  local  preachers  ;  6,002  members  ; 
1,369  probationers ;  28  churches,  worth  $296,- 
993;  25  parsonages,  worth  $12,000;  207  Sun- 
day-schools ;  866  teachers  ;  9,216  Sunday-school 
scholars,  and  2,341  volumes  in  libraries.  Total, 
432  traveling  preachers  ;  349  local  preachers  ; 
39, 1 5  7  members  and  probationers  5512  churches, 
worth  $1,848,693  ;  235  parsonages,  worth  $284,- 
050;  771  Sunday-schools;  37,689  Sunday-school 
scholars,  and  66,109  volumes  in  libraries. 

"We  have  two  colleges,  one  in  Berea,  Ohio, 
and  one  in  Warrenton,  Mo.  ;  one  Normal  School 
in  Galena,  111. ;  one  Mission  Institute  in  Frank- 
fort-on-the-Main,  in  Germany  ;  and  one  Mission 
House  at  New  York. 

"  We  also  have  two  orphan  asylums,  one  in 
Berea,  Ohio,  with  65  orphans,  and  one  in  War- 
renton, Mo.,  with  34  orphans.  The  running  ex- 
penses of  these  orphan  asylums  come  to  nearly 
$14,000  per  year,  which  amount  is  contributed 


General  Statistics.  203 

by  German  Methodists.  The  value  of  the  prop- 
erty of  these  institutions  is  over  $250,000,  be- 
sides an  endowment  fund  of  $55,000  of  the  Ger- 
man Wallace  College  at  Berea,  Ohio. 

"  I  compared  the  contributions  of  American 
and  German  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  in  1870,  and  found  the  following 
results : 

American,  German, 

per  member.  per  member. 

Missions 45£  cents.  60  cents. 


Church  Extension 5 

Tract  Society l£ 

Bible  Society 6 

Sunday-School  Union  . .  \\ 

Fifth  Collection 9 


32 
3 


Total 


"  During  the  last  four  years  the  contributions 
in  America  only  to  the  various  causes  amount- 
ed to  $66,829  73  for  Missions,  $43,609  81  for 
Church  Extension,  $3,570  30  for  Tract  Society, 
$6,756  23  for  Bible  Society,  $3,456  15  for  Sun- 
day-School Union,  $13,620  66  for  Fifth  Collec- 
tion. During  the  same  time  over  14,000  adults 
and  children  were  baptized,  and  nearly  1,600 
members  were  transferred  by  death  from  the 
Church  militant  to  the  Church  triumphant  in 
heaven. 

"  The  circulation  of  the  '  Christian  Apologist  ' 
is  16,000,  of  the  'Sunday-School  Bell,'  (Ger- 


2O4  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

man  Sunday-school  paper,)  26,000  ;  the  '  Be- 
rean  Lesson,'  in  German,  12,000.  There  is  an 
almost  unanimous  desire  throughout  the  German 
Church  for  a  religious  monthly  family  maga- 
zine in  the  German  language  for  the  use  of 
families,  Sunday-school  teachers,  and  the  youth. 
May  we  soon  have  it ! 

"The  Lord  bless  the  Methodist  Church  in 
all  its  branches,  especially  the  work  among  the 
Germans  in  this  country  and  the  fatherland ! 
May  the  781  German  preachers  and  the  39,157 
members  continue  to  fight  the  battle  of  the 
Lord !  May  they  grow  in  faith  and  grace,  and 
be  inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  so  that  they  all 
and  every  one  shall  be  instruments  of  spreading 
the  Gospel,  and  leading  thousands  more  of  their 
countrymen  to  Jesus  the  Saviour  of  sinners  ! "  * 

THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCES  FORTY  YEARS  AGO 
AND  NOW. 

The  General  Conference  of  1832  was  com- 
posed of  one  delegate  for  every  five  members 
from  each  of  the  nineteen  annual  conferences. 
It  gave  them  one  hundred  and  ninety-nine 
delegates.  This  ratio  of  representation  was 
created  twenty-four  years  before,  when  the  dele- 

*  German  correspondent  in  General  Conference  "  Daily  Ad- 
vocate." 


General  Statistics.  205 

gated  General  Conference  plan  was  first  adopted. 
This  ratio  could  not  be  changed  without  the 
concurrent  voice  of  all  the  conferences  and  a 
two-third  vote  of  the  General  Conference.  Va- 
rious attempts  to  change  it  had  been  made,  but 
heretofore  had  failed.  At  this  General  Confer- 
ence it  was  changed  to  one  delegate  for  every 
fourteen  members.  This  reduced  the  next  Gen- 
eral Conference  delegations  to  one  hundred  and 
forty-eight  members,  making  a  reduction  of  fifty- 
one,  notwithstanding  there  were  three  more 
conferences  represented,  and  the  membership 
had  increased  in  the  four  years  more  than  one 
hundred  thousand. 

In  1872  the  General  Conference  had  two 
hundred  and  ninety-two  clerical  members,  and 
one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  lay  delegates ; 
in  all,  four  hundred  and  twenty-one.  They 
came  from  seventy-two  conferences,  embracing 
a  membership  of  but  little  less  than  one  million 
and  a  half. 

The  ratio  of  representation  was  one  for  every 
thirty  members  of  conference,  and  two  lay  dele- 
gates for  every  lay  electoral  conference.  This 
General  Conference  changed  again  the  ratio  to 
one  for  every  forty-five  of  the  annual  conference 
members,  and  left  the  lay  representation  the 
same  as  before.  They  also  created  four  addi- 


206   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

tional  conferences,  making  now  in  all  seventy- 
six. 

Though  the  ratio  has  been  reduced  sevenfold 
since  the  year  1832,  yet  the  clerical  delegates 
have  increased  nearly  one  third.  These,  with 
the  lay  representation,  gave  the  General  Con- 
ference of  1872  the  right  to  two  hundred  and 
thirty-seven  more  than  forty  years  before. 
During  this  time  the  annual  conferences  have 
increased,  including  the  General  Conferences  of 
1832  and  1872,  from  nineteen  to  seventy-six,  an 
increase  of  fourfold. 

Still  new  fields  are  constantly  opening  in  the 
new  settlements  of  the  great  West,  and  in  the 
now  free  South,  for  our  Church  enlargement. 
New  conferences  in  four  years  more,  to  meet 
the  demands  of  the  work,  will  need  to  be  organ- 
ized, and  many  older  conferences,  by  the  reason 
of  their  rapid  increase,  will  need  to  be  divided. 
What  wonders  of  grace  have  been  and  are  yet 
to  be  wrought  through  Methodism  in  the  name 
and  through  the  merits  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ ! 


Bishops  of  the  M.  E.  Church.          207 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
Bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

<>0 

fN  the  year  1832,  when  the  General  Con- 
ference assembled,  there  were  only  four 
bishops  in  all,  one  of  whom — William 
M'Kendree — on  account  of  his  great  age  and 
increasing  infirmities,  was  excused  from  active 
service.  He  was  our  first  American-born 
bishop — elected  in  1808,  served  the  Church  in 
the  high  office  twenty-seven  years,  and  died 
in  Tennessee,  March  5,  1835,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years.  "  He  was  a  good  man,  full 
of  faith  and  the  Holy  Ghost,"  and  an  energetic 
and  judicious  general  superintendent  in  the 
Church.  His  dying  testimony  was,  "All  is 
well." 

The  others  were  Robert  R.  Roberts,  elected 
in  1816,  and  died  March  28,  1843.  He  was 
an  eloquent  preacher  and  efficient  officer  in 
the  Church.  Joshua  Soule,  elected  in  1824. 
After  serving  the  Church  of  his  choice  in  this 
capacity  twenty-two  years  he  seceded  and  went 


2o8  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

to  the  "Church  South,"  where  he  died  in 
March,  1867,  having  served  the  Church  there 
for  twenty-two  years  more.  Elijah  Heddingt 
elected  in  May,  1^24,  and  served  the  Church 
in  his  high  office  for  thirty  years.  He  died 
in  great  peace,  at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  April 
9,  1852,  aged  seventy-two.  He  was  an  able 
preacher,  a  wise  counselor,  and  unsurpassed  in 
his  knowledge  of  Methodistic  law  and  usage. 

At  this  General  Conference,  in  1832,  the 
Episcopal  Board  was  strengthened  by  the  elec- 
tion and  consecration  of  two  additional  bish- 
ops. These  were  John  Emory  and  James  O. 
Andrew. 

Bishop  Emory  was  a  thoroughly  educated 
man,  possessed  of  a  discriminating  mind  and 
comprehensive  judgment,  giving  great  promise 
for  the  future.  But  these  high  hopes  were 
soon  cut  off.  He  started  from  his  home  in 
Baltimore,  December  16,  1835,  on  official  du- 
ties, when,  his  horse  taking  fright,,  he  was 
thrown  from  his  carriage  with  great  violence, 
fatally  injured,  and  soon  died,  aged  forty-eight 
years. 

James  O.  Andrew  served  as  bishop  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  till  1844,  when  he 
received  the  censure  of  the  General  Conference 
for  becoming  identified  with  slaveholding  by 


Bishops  of  the  M.  E.  Church.          209 

reason  of  his  wife's  having  property  in  them, 
when  he  and  most  of  the  southern  ministers 
and  members  withdrew,  and  organized  what 
was  called  the  "  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South." 

It  may  be  well  here  to  give  a  brief  statement 
of  the  bishops  who  had  preceded  those  of  forty 
years  ago.  They  were  Thomas  Coke,  LL.D., 
Francis  Asbury,  Richard  Whatcoat,  and  Enoch 
George.  Bishop  Coke  of  the  British  Confer- 
ence, and  of  English  birth,  was  ordained  by 
Mr.  Wesley  in  1784,  and  sent  over  to  our 
country  as  "General  Superintendent"  of  Amer- 
ican Methodism.  He  labored  faithfully  in  his 
office  for  a  few  years,  but  devoted  the  latter 
part  of  his  valuable  life  to  the  superintend- 
ency  of  Wesleyan  Missions.  After  crossing 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  eighteen  times  in  con- 
nection with  his  great  work,  he  died  at  sea, 
May  4,  1814,  greatly  loved  and  lamented  by 
all  lovers  of  the  cause  to  which  he  had  devoted 
his  life. 

Bishop  Asbury,  selected  for  the  office  by  Mr. 
Wesley  as  joint  superintendent  with  Dr.  Coke, 
declined  to  accept  the  honorable  position  unless 
the  American  brethren  would  vote  to  ratify  the 
appointment.  At  the  Christmas  Conference  of 

that   year — 1784 — his  decision  was   duly  pre- 
14 


2io  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

sented,  when  he  was  elected  and  consecrated 
to  the  sacred  office,  Bishop  Coke  officiating. 
Bishop  Asbury  had  previously  labored  heroic- 
ally in  this  his  adopted  country  for  three  years, 
and  continued  to  toil  for  and  with  his  Amer- 
ican brethren  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  Virginia,  March  31,  1816.  His  age  was  sev- 
enty-one years. 

Richard  Whatcoat,  another  Wesleyan  preach- 
er, who  was  sent  over  to  America  by  Mr.  Wes- 
ley as  a  missionary  a  few  years  before,  was 
elected  bishop  in  the  year  1800,  and  died, 
six  years  after,  in  Delaware,  aged  seventy-one 
years. 

Enoch  George,  our  second  American-born 
bishop,  was  elected  and  consecrated  in  1816, 
and  died  August  28,  1828.  This  was  the  first 
death  among  American-born  bishops. 

"  Bishops  Asbury,  Whatcoat,  and  McKendree 
were  never  married.  They  lived  and  died  with- 
out a  home.  They  traversed  the  nation,  preach- 
•ing  daily  as  they  went  in  churches,  in  court- 
houses, in  kitchens,  in  barns,  and  in  forests. 
Their  allowance  for  support  was  no  larger 
than  that  of  the  humblest  itinerant.  Except 
McKendree,  they  had  no  property  when  they 
died,  save  what  they  carried  about  their  per- 
sons on  their  routes." 


Bishops  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  211 

Bishop  George  was  no  less  zealous  and  self- 
sacrificing  than  his  seniors  in  office.*  He  was 
a  man  of  great  simplicity  of  manners,  a  very 
pathetic  and  powerful  preacher,  greatly  beloved 
in  life  and  lamented  in  death. f 

Within  the  space  of  the  last  forty  years  what 
havoc  has  death  made  of  our  Methodist. Amer- 
ican bishops  !  Mention  has  already  been  made 
of  five  who  had  then  passed  away  to  their  re- 
ward on  high. 

Of  the  eleven  elected  between  1832  and  1872, 
six  have  departed  this  life  to  join  in  the  em- 
ployments of  heaven  with  those  who  had  gone 
before.  I  am  constrained  to  give  names  and 
dates. 

Beverly  Waugh,  elected  to  the  holy  office  in 
1836,  died  in  Maryland,  February  9,  1865,  aged 
sixty^nine  years. 

Leonidas  L.  Hamline,  elected  in  1844,  re- 
signed his  office  in  1852  on  account  of  feeble 
health.  He  died  in  Iowa,  March  22,  1865. 

Osmon  C.  Baker,  elected  in  1852,  died  in. 
Concord,  N.  H.,  December  20,  1871,  aged  fifty- 
nine  years. 

Davis  W.  Clark,  made  bishop  in  1864,  died 
in  Cincinnati,  O.,  in  1871. 

*  See  Stevens'  "  Memorials  of  Methodism." 

f  See  Dr.  Bangs'  "History  of  the  M.  E.  Church." 


212  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

Edward  Thomson,  chosen  in  1864,  de- 
parted this  life  in  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  March 
20,  1870. 

Calvin  Kingsley,  elected  in  1864,  "ceased 
at  once  to  work  and  live,"  in  Beyroot,  Syria, 
April  6,  1870. 

These  were  all  good,  true,  and  able  ministers 
of  the  Gospel,  and  wise  and  efficient  general 
superintendents  of  the  Church,  whose  deaths 
made  vacancies  in  the  bench  of  bishops  which 
were  difficult  to  fill. 

The  General  Conference  of  1872  began  its 
important  session  with  only  one  more  bishop 
than  the  number  the  General  Conference  had 
at  its  commencement  forty  years  before,  and 
now,  as  then,  one  of  these,  by  reason  of  age 
and  infirmities,  was  excused  from  service.  The 
four  others,  called  effective  bishops,  were  nearly 
worn  out  with  the  extra  labors  demanded  by 
reason  of  the  death  of  their  late  co-laborers. 
The  care  of  all  the  seventy-two  conferences,  be- 
.  sides  the  mission  fields,  had  proved  too  much 
for  the  strongest  of  them  to  endure. 

This  General  Conference  very  properly  voted 
to  strengthen  the  episcopal  board  by  the  choice 
of  eight  additional  bishops.  The  choice,  with 
unusual  unanimity,  centered  upon  the  following 
brethren,  namely : 


Bishops  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  2 1 3 

Thomas  Bowman,  D.D.,  President  of  the  In- 
diana Asbury  University. 

William  L.  Harris,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Assistant 
Secretary  of  the  Missionary  Society  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church. 

Randolph  S.  Foster,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  President 
of  the  Drew  Theological  Seminary,  Madison, 
N.  J. 

Isaac  W.  Wiley,  D.D.,  editor  of  the  "  Ladies' 
Repository,"  Cincinnati,  O. 

Stephen  M.  Merrill,  D.D.,  editor  of  "  West- 
ern Christian  Advocate,"  Cincinnati,  O. 

Edward  G.  Andrews,  D.D.,  pastor  Seventh 
Avenue  Church,  Brooklyn,  New  York  East 
Conference. 

Gilbert  Haven,  D.D.,  editor  of  "  Zion's  Her- 
ald," Boston,  Mass. 

Jesse  T.  Peck,  D.D.,  recent  pastor  of  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  and 
author  of  the  volume  entitled  "  The  True 
Woman." 

They  were  duly  consecrated  "  by  the  imposi- 
tion of  the  hands  "  of  the  senior  bishops,  and 
are  now  doing  efficient  service  in  their  new  of- 
fice for  Christ  and  his  Church.  May  they  be 
eminently  useful  in  the  "  high  vocation "  to 
which  they  are  called  ! 

In  the  foregoing  list  of  bishops,  including  the 


214   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

living  and  the  dead,  we  need  to  add  those  of 
African  descent,  whose  jurisdiction  was  limited 
to  Africa,  namely,  Thomas  Burns  and  John 
Wright  Roberts,,  of  the  Liberia  Conference. 
Bishop  Burns  was  elected  to  the  important  of- 
fice in  1856,  consecrated  by  our  American 
bishops  in  1858,  and  labored  faithfully  in  his 
specified  mission  field  until  he  died,  April  18, 
1863,  while  in  Baltimore,  Md. 

Bishop  Roberts,  of  that  conference,  was 
elected  in  1864,  and  consecrated  by  American 
bishops  in  1866.  His  residence  is  Monrovia, 
Africa.  A  strong  desire  had  been  expressed 
on  the  part  of  many  to  take  off  the  restriction 
which  limited  his  jurisdiction  to  Africa,  and 
make  him  full  bishop,  equal  in  his  extent  of  ter- 
ritory and  authority  with  the  other  bishops  ;  but 
the  fact  of  his  long  residence  in  Africa,  and  that 
he  was  unknown  by  face  to  the  members  of  the 
General  Conference,  had  an  adverse  influence 
on  the  members  of  that  body,  and  the  effort 
failed  of  success. 

Petitions  also,  numerously  signed  by  colored 
conferences  and  colored  laymen  from  the  South, 
were  presented  to  the  General  Conference  to 
secure  the  election  of  a  bishop  of  African  de- 
scent to  be  especially  devoted  to  the  interests 
of  the  colored  people  of  the  South.  This  meas- 


Bishops  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  2 1 5 

ure  was  also  advocated  by  some  of  our  ablest 
men  in  the  connection,  both  in  some  of  our  pe- 
riodicals and  in  the  General  Conference,  asking 
not  only  to  have  him  employed  in  the  superin- 
tendence of  our  colored  conferences  in  the 
South,  but  to  take  an  equal  part  with  the  epis- 
copal board  in  every  part  of  our  widely-extended 
Zion. 

A  special  committee  of  the  General  Confer- 
ence was  created  to  consider  this  important 
subject.  This  committee  was  very  judiciously 
made  up  of  wise  and  able  men,  strong  friends 
of  the  colored  people,  two  of  whom  were  of 
African  blood.  Their  secretary  was  then  and 
now  is  a  very  earnest  and  efficient  missionary 
among  the  Freedmen  of  the  South.  The  fol- 
lowing important  report  was  made  by  them  on 
the  subject,  which  was  ably  discussed  and  with 
great  unanimity  adopted  by  the  General  Con- 
ference. 

BISHOPS    OF  AFRICAN    DESCENT. 

"  The  special  committee  to  which  was  referred 
the  memorial  of  the  New  Orleans  Preachers' 
Meeting  of  May  23,  asking  for  the  election  of 
an  additional  bishop  who  should  be  of  African 
descent,  respectfully  report  that,  at  a  meeting 
of  the  committee  held  May  30,  the  statements 


216  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

of  the  memorialists  and  their  requests  were 
carefully  considered.  The  very  reasonable  de- 
mand that  at  least  '  some  action  may  be  taken 
which  shall  assure  our  people  that  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  invites  to  her  altars 
peoples  of  every  nation,  and  extends  to  them 
equal  rights  in  her  worship  and  government,' 
was  responded  to  with  great  unanimity  by  the 
following  declaration  of  facts,  which  we  are  per- 
suaded will  be  entirely  satisfactory  to  the  memo- 
rialists : 

"  i.  A  memorial  from  the  preachers  of  the 
Louisiana  Conference,  with  others,  in  behalf  of 
a  bishop  of  African  descent,  were  promptly  re- 
ferred to  the  Committee  on  Episcopacy,  care- 
fully considered,  and  reported  on  as  follows  : 
'  The  Committee  on  Episcopacy  respectfully 
report  to  the  General  Conference,  concerning 
the  election  of  colored  bishops,  that  they  are 
deeply  impressed  with  the  Christian  spirit  mani- 
fested by  those  memorializing  the  General  Con- 
ference on  this  subject.  The  rapid  progress 
our  brethren  of  color  are  making  in  all  that 
elevates  mankind  is  most  commendable,  and  we 
have  no  doubt  there  is  a  future  of  great  prom- 
ise before  them.  Your  committee  would  further 
report  that,  in  their  judgment,  there  is  nothing 
in  race,  color,  or  former  condition  that  is  a  bar 


Bishops  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  2 1 7 

to  an  election  to  the  episcopacy,  the  true  course 
being  for  us  to  elect  only  such  persons  as  are 
by  their  pre-eminent  piety,  endowments,  culture, 
general  fitness,  and  acceptability,  best  qualified 
to  fill  the  office.' 

"  2.  The  claims  of  our  numerous  and  noble- 
hearted  membership  of  African  descent  to  a 
perfect  equality  of  relations  with  all  others  in 
our  communion  are  fully  recognized  by  the 
Discipline,  and  amply  demonstrated  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
There  is  no  word  '  white,'  to  discriminate  against 
race  or  color,  known  in  our  legislation  ;  and 
being  of  African  descent  does  not  prevent  mem- 
bership with  white  men  in  annual  conferences, 
nor  ordination  at  the  same  altar,  nor  appoint- 
ment to  the  presiding  eldership,  nor  election  to 
the  General  Conference,  nor  eligibility  to  the 
highest  offices  in  the  Church. 

"  3.  Election  to  the  office  of  bishop,  from 
among  candidates  who  are  mutually  equal,  can- 
not be  determined  on  the  ground  of  color  or 
any  other  special  consideration.  It  can  only  be 
by  fair  and  honorable  competition  between  the 
friends  of  the  respective  candidates.  And  yet 
the  presentation  of  a  well-qualified  man  of  Af- 
rican descent  would  doubtless  secure  very  gen- 
eral support  in  view  of  the  great  interests  of 


2 1 8   MetJtodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

the  Church,  which  would  thereby  be  more  abun- 
dantly .promoted.  No  such  opportunity,  how- 
ever, has  been  afforded  at  this  General  Confer- 
ence." 

Thus,  by  the  foregoing  decision,  has  ceased 
for  the  present  an  agitation  on  this  important 
point  of  Church  policy  which  will  eventually  be 
reproduced  and  secure  the  end  sought,  though 
for  the  time  being  delayed.  May  the  great 
Head  of  the  Church  by  it  bring  glory  to  him- 
self, and  great  good  to  all  his  people  ! 


The  Methodist  Book  Coticem.  219 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The   Methodist   Book  Concern   Forty  Years 
Ago  and  Now. 


'WjHE  entire  valuation  of  this  establishment 
"hfc),  in  1832  could  not  have  much  exceeded 
two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 
Its  history  is  of  no  small  importance  as  con- 
nected with  the  literature  of  the  Church.  It 
was  first  established  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia, 
in  1789,  with  a  borrowed  capital  of  six  hundred 
dollars. 

Rev.  John  Dickins,  then  the  stationed  min- 
ister in  that  city,  was  elected  its  first  "  Book 
Steward"  and  editor.  The  first  book  printed 
by  the  "  Concern "  was  Wesley's  edition  'of 
"a  Kempis,"  a  little  devotional  work  by  a  "Ro- 
man Catholic."  During  his  first  year  in  office 
Mr.  Dickins  published  "  The  Arminian  Maga- 
zine," "The  Methodist  Discipline,"  "The  Saints' 
Everlasting  Rest,"  a  "  Hymn  Book,"  and  "  Wes- 
ley's Primitive  Physics." 

It  remained  in  Philadelphia  until  1804,  when 


22O  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

it  was  removed  to  Crosby-street,  New  York; 
but  by  reason  of  its  lack  of  funds,  and  its  very 
limited  accommodations,  its  success  was  small 
for  a  series  of  years.  In  1828  it  was  placed 
upon  a  more  permanent  financial  basis,  and  its 
business  greatly  enlarged.  This  was  under  the 
supervision  of  Nathan  Bangs,  D.D.,  then  editor 
of  the  "  Christian  Advocate,"  and  John  Emory 
and  Beverly  Waugh,  Agents.  The  last  two 
named  were  afterward  bishops  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

Just  forty  years  ago  it  was  removed  from 
Crosby-street  to  Mulberry-street,  where  new 
and  more  commodious  buildings  had  just  been 
erected  for  its  increasing  business  ;  but  in  the 
space  of  four  years  all  was  destined  to  be  in 
ashes.  Its  entire  value  at  that  time  was  esti- 
mated at  not  less  than  three  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  and  the  loss  by  fire  at  more  than  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  The  report 
of  this  fearful  fire  produced  a  most  painful  sen- 
sation in  all  directions.  Indeed,  the  news  of  the 
sad  conflagration  was  carried  by  the  winds  of 
heaven.  A  leaf  of  a  Bible  was  picked  up  in 
Brooklyn,  three  miles  away  from  the  smoking 
ruins,  while  the  flames  were  yet  raging,  on 
which  were  found  these  words  :  "  Our  holy  and 
beautiful  house,  where  our  fathers  praised  thee, 


The  Methodist  Book  Concern.  22 1 

is  burned  with  fire,  and  all  our  pleasant  things 
laid  waste."  Isa.  Ixiv,  n. 

The  people  sympathized  with  the  Church  in 
this  sad  disaster,  and  in  a  short  time  contributed 
nearly  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  repair 
the  loss,  by  which  the  Agents  were  enabled  to 
go  on  with  their  publishing  interests. 

•   THE  WESTERN  BOOK  CONCERN 

At  Cincinnati  was  established  in  1820,  with 
a  small  capital,  and  forty  years  ago  was  doing  a 
quite  prosperous  business  in  the  enterprising 
western  portion  of  Methodism  ;  but  in  1844  a 
heavy  draft  was  made  on  these  comparatively 
young  and  struggling  institutions  by  reason  of 
the  Southern  secession,  and  the  division  of  their 
funds  consequent  thereupon  ;  nevertheless  our 
Book  Concerns  of  New  York  and  Cincinnati 
since  the  fire  of  1836  have  distributed  among 
the  annual  conferences  and  to  the  Church,  out- 
side of  their  own  business  expenses,  one  million 
five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  All  the  profits 
are  appropriated  to  Church  purposes  in  such 
ways  as  the  General  Conference  prescribes. 

The  Agents  now  publish  some  two  thousand 
different  volumes  of  books  and  one  thousand 
tracts. 


222  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

The  value  of  the  real  estate  owned  by  the 
Concern  in  New  York  is  shown  by  the  follow- 
ing extract  from  the  official  report  of  the  Agents 
to  the  General  Conference  of  1872  : 

"  At  the  last  General  Conference  a  commission 
was  appointed  with  power  to  expend  any  sum  not 
exceeding  one  million  dollars  ($1,000,000)  in  the 
purchase  of  real  estate  for  the  use  of  the  Book 
Concern,  Missionary  Society,  and  other  connec- 
tional  institutions  in  the  city  of  New  York,  and 
to  raise  the  money  by  loan  or  otherwise. 

"  In  accordance  with  this  authority,  the  said 
commission,  in  the  spring  of  1869,  purchased  a 
property  on  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Elev- 
enth-street at  a  cost  of  nine  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars,  ($900,000,)  three  fourths  (£)  of 
which  is  owned  by  the  Book  Concern,  and 
cost,  including  forty-two  thousand  nine  hun- 
dred and  four  dollars  and  thirteen  cents 
($42,904  13)  for  finishing  and  fitting  up  for 
use,  seven  hundred  and  seventeen  thousand 
nine  hundred  and  four  dollars  and  thirteen 
cents,  ($717,904  13.)  The  other  one  fourth  (j) 
is  owned  by  the  Missionary  Society  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  cost,  when  com- 
pleted and  ready  for  use,  two  hundred  and 
thirty-two  thousand  four  hundred  and  fifty-two 
dollars  and  forty-nine  cents,  ($232,452  49,)  mak- 


The  Methodist  Book  Concern.  223 

ing  the  total  cost  of  the.  building  and  lots  nine 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  three  hundred  and 
fifty-six  dollars  and  sixty-two  cents,  ($950,356  62.) 

"After  reserving  sufficient  space  for  Book 
Concern,  Missionary  Society,  and  other  con- 
nectional  purposes — such  as  rooms  for  whole- 
saling and  retailing  books  and  periodicals,  mail- 
ing department,  library  room,  bishops'  room, 
board  room  or  chapel,  agents,  editors,  and  mis- 
sionary secretaries'  offices,  etc. — there  remained 
a  large  portion  of  the  building  unoccupied  for 
Church  or  benevolent  purposes,  which  is  rented 
to  several  parties  for  an  annual  rent  of  seventy- 
two  thousand  seven  hundred  dollars,  ($72,700,) 
which  will  pay  the  interest  at  seven  per  cent, 
per  annum  on  the  whole  cost  of  the  property, 
nine  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty-six  dollars  and  sixty-two  cents, 
($950,356  62,)  being  sixty-six  thousand  five  hun- 
dred and  twenty-four  dollars  and  ninety-six  cents, 
($66,524  96,)  and  leave  a  balance  of  six  thousand 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars  and  four 
cents  ($6,175  °4)  toward  paying  the  taxes  and 
insurance. 

"  By  the  said  commission  the  Agents  were 
authorized  to  issue  bonds  for  five  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars,  ($500,000,)  payable  after  three 
years,  and  due  in  fifteen  years  from  June  I, 


224   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

1869,  for  part  payment  of  the  above-named 
property.  These  bonds  were  all  taken  at  par 
and  accrued  interest,  without  paying  a  single 
dollar  for  advertising  or  brokerage. 

"  The  real  estate  at  200  Mulberry-street  and 
Mott-street  is  used  for  manufacturing  purposes, 
with  the  exception  of  a  small  portion,  which  is 
rented  for  eighteen  hundred  dollars  ($1,800)  per 
annum." 

THE  CIRCUIT  PREACHERS  WERE  THE  "BOOK 
AGENTS"  FORTY  YEARS  AGO 

For  selling  the  books  of.  the  establishment  as 
they  traveled  their  circuits,  and  the  presiding 
elders  were  expected  to  supply  them  with  all 
they  could  sell.  •  Now  we  apply  directly  to  our 
"  Book  Concern  "  or  "  Depository  Agents  "  for 
them  as  they  are  needed. 

THE  REPUTATION  OF  OUR  "BOOK  CONCERN" 

Until  within  a  few  years  past  has  stood  above 
reproach.  There  has  not  been  till  of  late  even 
a  suspicion  of  dishonorable  dealing  in  the  finan- 
cial management  of  its  affairs  ;  but  unhappily 
there  have  been  created  suspicions  of  "  fraud  and 
mismanagement"  in  the  practical  workings  of 
some  of  its  departments,  which  have  had  a  some- 
what damaging  effect  on  its  former  good  name. 
Several  investigations  into  the  alleged  "frauds 


The  Methodist  Book  Concern.  225 

and  mismanagement"  had  been  made  by  the 
"  Book  Committee "  before  the  session  of  the 
General  Conference  of  the  present  year,  but 
each  investigation  resulted  in  divided  opinions 
with  reference  to  the  complaints  referred  to 
them,  and,  as  a  consequence,  in  majority  and 
minority  reports,  with  but  little  satisfaction  to 
the  committee  or  to  the  public. 

Such  was  its  condition  when  our  recent  Gen- 
eral Conference  met,  to  which  the  investigation 
of  the  whole  affair  legitimately  belonged — the 
only  tribunal  which  could  give  its  official  final 
decision  of  the  merits  or  demerits  regarding 
these  allegations  of  "fraud  and  mismanage- 
ment." 

To  this  tribunal  the  Church  looked  with  the 
deepest  solicitude.  Many  outside  the  Church 
had  predicted  that  the  scandal  would  not  be 
properly  exposed,  nor  the  subject  thoroughly 
investigated,  by  this  our  highest  Church  author- 
ity ;  but,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  all  the 
friends  of  the  Church,  and  to  the  equally  great 
disappointment  of  her  enemies,  a  most  thorough 
investigation  was  there  determined  upon  and 
made. 

A  "  special  committee "  of  seventy-two  was 
raised,  two  thirds  of  whom  were  lay  delegates, 

thorough  business  men,  for  this  purpose,  who 
15 


226  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

made  a  most  searching  investigation  into  the 
charges  and  specifications  brought  before  them. 
After  a  long  and  thorough  examination  into  all 
these  matters,  they  came  to  their  decision  with 
remarkable  unanimity.  Their  report  was  adopt- 
ed by  the  General  Conference  without  discus- 
sion, and  with  scarce  a  dissenting  voice.  Be- 
cause of  its  importance,  notwithstanding  its 
length,  we  give  it  entire,  as  follows  :  N 

REPORT  OF  THE  SPECIAL  COMMITTEE  ON  THE 
AFFAIRS  OF  THE  BOOK  CONCERN  IN  NEW 
YORK. 

"  To  the  General  Conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  now  in  session :  Your  special 
committee,  charged  with  the  investigation  of 
alleged  frauds  and  irregularities  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Methodist  Book  Concern  at  New 
York,  beg  leave  to  report : 

"  That  they  have  had  the  matters  referred  to 
them  under  consideration,  and  have  made  as 
thorough  and  searching  an  investigation  as  the 
limited  time  allowed  would  permit. 

"  The  committee  was  organized  by  the  elec- 
tion of  B.  R.  Bonner,  of  St.  Louis,  as  Chairman, 
and  A.  D.  Wilbor,  of  Genesee  Conference,  as 
Secretary. 

"After  deliberation,   the  committee  adopted 


The  Methodist  Book  Concern.  227 

as  Rules  of  Order  and  Proceeding,  and  as  ques- 
tions to  be  investigated  and  voted  upon,  the 
following,  to  wit : 

"  I.  Any  member  of  the  committee  propos- 
ing to  call  for  the  production  and  examination 
of  persons  or  papers  shall  make  such  request 
in  writing,  and  in  such  request  shall  specify 
such  persons  or  papers,  and  shall  point  out 
especially  the  facts  which  he  designs  to  estab- 
lish or  disprove  by  such  persons  or  papers  ; 

"Provided,  That  the  persons  and  papers 
brought  before  the  committee  may  be  used 
for  any  purpose  that  may  throw  light .  upon 
'any  matter  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  com- 
mittee. 

"  II.  The  hearing  of  the  facts,  evidence,  tes- 
timony and  explanation  shall  be  before  the 
whole  committee  in  open  session,  at  which 
every  member  is  expected  to  be  present. 

"III.  Members  of  the  committee  shall  not 
express  opinions  on  the  merits  of  the  case  or  the 
proofs  offered  during  the  hearing.  But  each 
member  shall  be  at  liberty  to  ask  any  relevant 
questions  he  may  think  proper  and  necessary 
to  a  full  understanding  of  the  subject 

"  IV.  After  the  proofs  and  explanations  are 
all  submitted,  the  committee  shall  alone,  with 
closed  doors,  proceed  in  their  order  to  con- 


228   Methodism  Forty  Years.  Ago  and  Now. 

sider  and  vote  upon   the  following  questions, 
namely : 

"  Question  i.  Have  frauds  been  practiced  in 
the  printing,  bindery,  or  any  other  department, 
by  which  the  Book  Concern  has  sustained  loss  ? 
If  so,  by  whom  ?  How  much  loss  was  sus- 
tained ?  At  what  time  or  times  were  said 
frauds  committed  ? 

"  Q.  2.  Have  there  been  any  irregularities  in 
the  management  of  the  business  of  the  Concern, 
by  which  losses  have  been,  or  might  have  been, 
sustained  ? 

"  Q.  3.  Have  losses,  if  any,  been  of  such 
magnitude  as  to  endanger  the  financial  strength 
of  the  Concern,  or  to  materially  impair  its 
capital  ? 

"  Q.  4.  Were  the  business  methods  of  the 
departments  such  as  to  afford  opportunities 
for  frauds  and  peculations  by  subordinates  ? 
And  is  it  reasonable  to  presume  that  such 
frauds,  [or  peculations,]  if  committed,  could 
have  been  prevented  by  the  enforcement  of 
more  thorough  and  business-like  methods  ? 

"  Q.  5.  Are  there  reasonable  grounds  to  pre- 
sume that  any  Agent  or  Assistant  Agent  is,  or 
has  been,  implicated  or  interested  in  any  frauds 
that  may  have  been  practiced  on  the  Concern  ? 

"  Q.  6.   Are  the  present  methods  of  accounts 


The  Methodist  Book  Concern.  229 

and  modes  of  conducting  the  business  such  as 
to  insure  reasonable  and  ordinary  protection 
against  frauds  and  irregularities  ? 

"  Q.  7.  Is  the  report  of  the  Agents  to  this 
General  Conference  a  fair  exhibit  of  the  assets 
and  liabilities  of  the  Concern  ? 

"  V.  After  a  vote  has  been  taken  on  each  of 
the  foregoing  questions,  any  member  of  the 
Committee  may  propose  any  other  question  in 
writing,  which  the  committee,  by  a  vote,  may 
entertain  and  order  to  be  voted  upon. 

"VI.  After  the  separate  vote  has  been  taken 
on  each  question,  a  report  shall  be  drawn  up 
embodying  the  judgment  of  the  committee  as 
thus  rendered,  with  such  expressions  as  may  be 
deemed  proper  in  relation  to  the  same. 

"  VII.  The  specific  statements  of  charges  in 
Dr.  Lanahan's  report  to  the  General  Confer- 
ence shall  be  taken  up  and  examined  in  their 
order  as  numbered. 

"  The  more  expeditiously  and  thoroughly  to 
investigate  the  several  matters  referred  to  us, 
Consisting  of  the  majority  and  minority  reports 
of  the  Book  Committee,  and  the  testimony 
therein  referred  to ;  the  statements  and  exhibits 
of  Drs.  Carlton  and  Lanahan  ;  with  the  reports 
of  the  several  accountants  who  have  examined 
the  affairs  of  the  Book  Concern,  your  com- 


230  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

mittee  ordered  and  appointed  the  following 
sub-committee,  to  wit : 

"i.  A  committee,  composed  of  John  Evans, 
Colorado,  W.  H.  H.  Beadle,  Des  Moines,  and 
J.  B.  Quigg,  Wilmington,  to  collate  and  report 
to  us,  first,  the  points  of  agreement ;  second, 
the  points  of  disagreement  in  the  majority  and 
minority  reports  of  the  Book  Committee. 

"  2.  A  committee,  consisting  of  John  Owen, 
Detroit,  J.  C.  M'Intosh,  S.  E.  Indiana,  and 
W.  H.  Olin,  Wyoming,  to  collate  and  report  the 
points  of  agreement  and  disagreement  in  the 
reports  of  Messrs.  Kilbreth  and  Gunn,  the  ex- 
perts employed  by  the  Book  Committee  and 
Dr.  Carlton  ;  also,  to  examine  the  books  of  the 
Book  Concern  as  to  their  past  and  present 
condition. 

"  3.  A  committee,  consisting  of  John  Evans, 
Colorado,  A.  Bradley,  Pittsburgh,  J.  B.  Quigg, 
Wilmington,  to  examine  and  report  upon  the 
charges  of  fraud  and  irregularities  in  Dr.  Lana- 
han's  report  (pages  17  to  21,  inclusive — state- 
ments one  to  five)  upon  the  question  of  frauds 
in  the  Printing  Department. 

"4.  A  committee,  consisting  of  D.  N.  Cool- 
ey,  Iowa,  William  Deering,  Maine,  and  W. 
J.  Moses,  Central  New  York,  upon  the  charges 
of  fraud  and  irregularities  in  the  Binding  De- 


The  Methodist  Book  Concern.  231 

partment,  including  statements  six  to  seven, 
inclusive — pages  21  to  24 — of  Dr.  Lanahan's 
report. 

"  5.  A  committee,  consisting  of  John  Owen, 
Detroit,  J.  C.  M'Intosh,  S.  E.  Indiana,  -and 
W.  H.  Olin,  Wyoming,  to  examine  statements 
twelve  to  seventeen  inclusive,  of  Dr.  Lanahan's 
report  as  to  fraud  in  making  false  reports  of 
amounts  of  material  used  and  the  work  turned 
out  from  the  Binding  Department. 

"6.  Also,  a  committee  of  three,  consisting 
of  L.  J.  Critchfield,  Ohio,  J.  B.  M'Cullough, 
Philadelphia,  G.  F.  Gavitt,  Providence,  to  ex- 
amine .the  evidence  in  relation  to  statements 
eighteen,  nineteen,  and  twenty  in  Dr.  Lana- 
han's report,  charging  false  entries  in  the  books 
of  the  Book  Concern. 

"  7.  Also,  a  committee,  consisting  of  W.  H. 
H.  Beadle,  Des  Moines,  C.  R.  Brown,  Michi- 
gan, and  A.  Bradley,  Nebraska,  to  examine 
and  report  upon  all  the  facts  in  relation  to  the 
publications  of  the  several  experts. 

"After  all  the  sub-committees  had  made  the 
examinations  practicable  in  the  time  at  their 
disposal,  and  had  submitted  their  several  re- 
ports in  writing  to  the  special  committee,  and 
the  several  members  of  said  committees  had 
been  questioned  before  the  whole  committee 


232  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

as  to  the  evidence  examined,  and  the  facts 
found  by  them,  and  after  hearing  the  other  evi- 
dence before  the  committee,  your  committee, 
pursuant  to  its  rules  of  order,  went  into  private 
session  with  closed  doors  to  consider  and  dis- 
cuss the  said  several  questions  raised  in  the 
charges  preferred  and  the  questions  proposed 
to  be  considered  and  voted  upon. 

"There  were  present  at  roll-call  at  this  pri- 
vate session  fifty-nine  of  the  special  com- 
mittee, which  was  about  the  average  number 
who  have  been  present  and  examined  said  case 
during  our  sittings. 

"  Thereupon  we  proceeded  to  vote  upon  the 
questions  as  per  order  of  proceedings  above 
quoted,  to  wit  : 

"i.  On  the  first  clause  of  Question  i,  '  Have 
frauds  been  practiced  in  the  Printing  Depart- 
ment ? '  the  question  was  decided  in  the  nega- 
tive, ayes  7,  noes  50. 

"  2.  On  a  vote  on  the  second  clause  of  said 
question,  '  Have  frauds  been  practiced  in  the 
Bindery  by  which  the  Book  Concern  has  sus- 
tained loss  ? '  it  was  decided  in  the  affirmative 
by  a  vote  of  ayes  49,  noes  6. 

"3.  On  a  vote  on  the  third  clause  of  said 
question,  'Have  frauds  been  practiced  in  any 
other  department  by  which  the  Concern  has 


The  Methodist  Book  Concern.  233 

sustained  loss  ? '  the  question  was  decided  in 
the  negative  by  a  vote  of  ayes  7,  noes  47. 

"  4.  Q.  2.  '  Have  there  been  any  irregular- 
ities in  the  management  of  the  business  of  the 
Concern  by  which  losses  have  been,  or  might 
have  been,  sustained  ? '  was  decided  in  the  af- 
firmative by  a  vote  of  ayes  46,  noes  7. 

"5-  Q-  3-  '  Have  losses,  if  any,  been  of  such 
magnitude  as  to  endanger  the  financial  strength 
of  the  Concern,  or  to  materially  impair  its  cap- 
ital ? '  was  decided  in  the  negative  by  a  vote  of 
ayes  3,  noes  48. 

"  6.  Q.  4.  '  Were  the  business  methods  of  the 
departments  such  as  to  afford  opportunities  for 
frauds  and  peculations  by  subordinates  ? '  The 
first  clause  of  the  question,  as  above  quoted, 
was  decided  in  the  affirmative,  ayes  49,  noes  i. 

"  7.  The  second  clause,  to  wit,  '  Is  it  reason- 
able to  presume  that  such  frauds  or  peculations, 
if  committed,  could  have  been  prevented  by  the 
enforcement  of  more  thorough  and  business-like 
methods  ? ' 

"  This  also  was  decided  in  the  affirmative  by 
a  vote  of  ayes  31,  noes  20. 

"8.  Q.  5.  'Are  there  reasonable  grounds  to 
presume  that  any  Agent  or  Assistant  Agent  is  or 
has  been  implicated  or  interested  in  any  frauds 
that  may  have  been  practiced  in  the  Concern  ?' 


234  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

11  This  question  was  decided  in  the  negative, 
one  only  voting  in  the  affirmative. 

"9.  Q.  6.  'Are  the  present  methods  of  ac- 
counts and  modes  of  conducting  the  business 
such  as  to  insure  reasonable  and  ordinary  pro- 
tection against  frauds  and  irregularities  ? ' 

"This  was  decided  in  the  affirmative  by  a 
vote  of  ayes  42,  noes  12. 

"  10.  Q.  7.  '  Is  the  report  of  the  Agents  to 
this  General  Conference  a  fair  exhibit  of  the 
assets  and  liabilities  of  the  Concern  ? '  was  de- 
cided in  the  affirmative  by  the  following  vote : 
ayes  44,  noes  3. 

"Your  committee,  therefore,  after  as  careful 
an  examination  of  all  the  evidence  at  hand 
bearing  upon  the  subject  submitted  to  us  as  it 
has  been  possible  for  us  in  the  time  at  our  dis- 
posal to  give  to  it,  arrive  at  the  conclusion  that 
repeated  frauds  have  been  practiced  upon  the 
Book  Concern. 

"These  frauds  are  found  in  the  manufactur- 
ing department,  and  are  located  chiefly,  if  not 
wholly,  in  the  bindery.  Mr.  Hoffman  was 
superintendent  of  this  department  at  the  time 
of  the  perpetration  of  these  frauds,  and  the  evi- 
dence indicates  that  for  a  series  of  years  he 
carried  on  a  system  of  frauds  by  which  the 
Concern  sustained  very  considerable  losses,  the 


The  Methodist  Book  Concern.         235 

amount  of  which  it  is  impossible  to  indicate 
with  accuracy. 

"  i.  We  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  busi- 
ness methods  of  this  department  were  former- 
ly such  as  to  afford  opportunities  for  frauds 
and  peculations  by  subordinates,  which  these 
investigations  show  have  been  taken  advan- 
tage of. 

"  2.  Your  committee  concur  with  Mr.  Kilbreth 
in  the  statement  made  by  him  in  his  report 
before  us,  in  which  he  says  that  '  in  former 
years  it  is  apparent  that  there  was  a  great  lack 
of  system  in  the  business  transactions  of  the 
house,  as  shown  on  the  books,  and  a  great 
deal  of  confusion  and  careless  book-keeping ; ' 
as  also  in  his  further  statement,  that  '  the 
business  entries  of  the  years  1862  and  1864,  in- 
cluding also  the  bindery  and  periodical  account 
of  1 86 1,  are  totally  inexcusable  as  specimens 
of  accounts.' 

"  3.  Your  committee  also  find  that  the  losses 
sustained  by  frauds  and  irregularities  are  not 
of  such  magnitude  as  to  endanger  the  financial 
strength  of  the  Book  Concern,  nor  to  materially 
impair  its  capital. 

"  4.  That  there  are  no  reasonable  grounds  or 
proofs  to  justify  an  assumption  that  any  Agent 
or  Assistant  Agent  is  or  has  been  implicated  or 


236   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

interested  in  any  frauds  which  have  been  prac- 
ticed on  the  Book  Concern. 

"  5.  That  the  present  method  of  accounts  and 
modes  of  conducting  the  business  are  such  as 
to  insure  reasonable  and  ordinary  protection 
against  frauds  and  irregularities,  yet  they  are 
not  altogether  perfect. 

"  6.  In  reference  to  the  purchasing  of  paper 
through  Mr.  James  F.  Porter,  we  concur  with 
Mr.  Kilbreth, '  that  under  all  the  circumstances 
of  the  case  we  unhesitatingly  regard  it  as  a  de- 
cided business  impropriety.' 

"  7.  We  deem  it  proper  to  refer  to  the  trans- 
action of  the  Book  Concern  with  Messrs.  Brown 
Bros,  and  Co.,  (see  Mr.  Kilbreth's  Report,  page 
48,)  because  it  was  an  unauthorized  use  of  the 
credit  of  the  Book  Concern  for  the  benefit  of 
outside  parties  ;  and  although  there  was  in  this 
case  no  loss  to  the  Book  Concern,  and  we  may 
reasonably  believe  the  motives  which  prompted 
to  the  act  were  to  promote  the  interests  of  the 
Concern,  and  to  accommodate  the  Missionary 
Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South,  yet  to  guard  against  its  influence  as  a 
precedent  we  call  your  attention  to  it  as  an  er- 
ror fraught  with  peril  to  the  interests  of  the 
Book  Concern  which  should  not  be  sanctioned. 

"8.  As  to  question  seven,  submitted  for  our 


The  Methodist  Book  Concern.  237 

consideration,  whether  the  report  of  the  Agents 
for  1871  'is  a  fair  exhibit  of  the  assets  and  lia- 
bilities of  the  Concern,'  we  report  that  no  tes- 
timony was  introduced  before  the  whole  com- 
mittee on  that  subject,  though  several  members 
of  the  committee  examined  such  evidence  at  the 
Book  Room  as  was  available.  As  the  exhibit  is 
made  up  in  parts  of  estimated  values  of  real 
estate  and  other  property  belonging  to  the  Con- 
cern, such  estimates  must  depend  largely  for 
their  reliability  upon  the  good  judgment  of  the 
persons  making  up  such  exhibit. 

"  It  is  perhaps  sufficient  to  say  that  your 
committee  have  no  evidence  before  them  tending 
to  show  that  the  exhibits  should  be  different 
from  what  they  are. 

"  Appreciating  the  important  duties  devolved 
upon  us,  and  with  an  earnest  desire  to  reach 
just  conclusions,  your  committee  have  labored 
earnestly  to  discover  the  facts  involved,  and  ar- 
rive at  just  conclusions  embraced  within  the 
scope  of  the  authority  conferred  upon  us.  We 
submit  the  foregoing  as  a  summary  of  our  con- 
clusions. 

"  All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

"  On  the  question  of  the  adoption  of  the  fore- 
going report  as  a  whole  by  your  committee,  the 
same  was  adopted  unanimously  by  a  rising  vote." 


238  MctJiodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

The  character  of  that  committee,  the  thor- 
oughness of  their  investigation,  and  the  result 
of  their  conclusions,  are  well  expressed  in 
"  Zion's.  Herald"  of  June  I3th  by  the  editor, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  General  Conference, 
and  now  one  of  the  bishops  of  our  Church,  under 
the  heading, 

WHAT  THE  GENERAL  CONFERENCE  DID. 

"  The  most  important  of  the  sessions  of  this 
body  has  concluded  its  work.  Five  weeks  to  a 
day  it  sat,  patiently  engaged  in  the  work  of  the 
Church.  Matters  of  the  gravest  importance 
came  before  it.  The  Church  and  the  country 
had  been  tossed  on  a  rough  sea  of  controversy 
over  one  of  her  publishing  houses.  The  waves 
of  dispute  were  very  angry,  and  ran  very  high. 
Elections  of  the  gravest  character  came  upon 
it.  The  settlement  of  wider  matters,  relating 
to  Church  interests  at  home  and  abroad,  was 
also  appointed  unto  it.  Especially  notable  was 
it  for  the  presence,  for  the  first  time,  of  laymen 
in  its  councils.  Its  work  is  done.  What  is 
that  work  ?  First,  that  which  was  first  in  the 
public  and  ecclesiastical  mind,  the  New  York 
Book  Room  troubles,  were  settled,  to  the  peace 
of  the  whole  community.  A  body  of  seventy- 
two  members,  two  thirds  and  over  laymen,  was 


The  Methodist  Book  Concern.  239 

especially  assigned  to  this  case.  That  body 
divided  itself  into  minute  committees,  and  every 
particle  of  the  voluminous  evidence  taken  in  all 
the  previous  investigations  was  carefully  read. 
Besides  this,  much  other  testimony  was  received. 
We  doubt  if  ever  a  subject  was  more  thoroughly 
searched  into,  under  the  limitations  of  time  that 
were  necessarily  imposed  upon  them.  They 
could  only  have  surpassed  it  by  sitting  as  a 
commission  after  the  adjournment  of  the  Con- 
ference. That  committee  was  presided  over  by 
a  leading  banker  of  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Bonner,  and 
had  among  its  members  superior  men  of  busi- 
ness and  brains,  such  as  Hon.  Wm.  Deering, 
F.  A.  Gavitt,  Esq.,  Rev.  Dr.  Thayer,  Hon. 
Senator  Lane,  of  Indiana ;  Judge  Price,  of 
Iowa ;  Gov.  Dillingham,  of  Vermont  ;  Judge 
Goodrich,  of  Chicago  ;  Hon.  John  Owen,  State 
Treasurer  of  Michigan  ;  Gov.  Evans,  of  Colo- 
rado ;  Rev.  W.  H.  Olin,  of  Wyoming,  a  bred 
lawyer  ;  Judge  Woodward,  of  Washington,  and 
many  others  of  like  sort.  Their  report,  unani- 
mously adopted,  sustained  the  main  lines  of 
complaint,  and  justified  the  efforts  made  to  im- 
prove the  status  of  affairs  at  New  York.  Yet 
it  was  so  couched  that  no  reflection  came  on 
the  integrity  of  any  of  the  officers  of  the  Church. 
This  result  answered  all  the  charges  with  which 


240  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

some  of  the  press  have  been  laden,  that  the 
scandal  would  not  be  exposed  or  suppressed. 
The  Church  did  the  square  thing,  and  no  one, 
unless  determined  to  find  fault,  can  complain 
of  the  manner  in  which  this  matter  has  been 
considered  and  adjusted.  The  General  Confer- 
ence completed  this  work  by  adopting  the  re- 
port with  almost  entire  unanimity,  and  by  placing 
entirely  new  men  in  both  the  Concern  and  the 
Committee,  an  act  which  did  not  reflect  on  the 
previous  members,  but  simply  said  it  is  best  to 
have  a  new  order  of  things  all  through,  so  that 
every  thing  may  start  afresh  and  aright.  The 
brethren  selected  as  agents  are  able  men.  Dr. 
Nelson  is  a  thorough  business  man,  having  suc- 
cessfully conducted  the  affairs  of  a  flourishing 
seminary  for  many  years  in  Pennsylvania.  He 
is  of  rare  agreeableness  of  manners,  the  soul 
of  courtesy  and  honor,  without  self-seeking,  de- 
voted to  the  enlargement  and  prosperity  of  this 
great  interest  of  the  Church. 

"  His  associate,  J.  H.  Phillips,  Esq.,  has  been 
the  real  head  for  many  years  of  the  house  in 
Cincinnati.  He  was  one  of  the  secretaries  of 
the  Conference,  and  by  his  goodly  presence, 
portly  and  pleasant,  as  well  as  by  the  zealous 
seconding  of  his  handsome  associate  secretary, 
Judge  Cooley,  of  Iowa,  he  won  the  place  from 


The  Methodist  Book  Concern.  241 

the  rival  lay  candidate,  J.  P.  Magee.  The  lat- 
ter was  set  in  nomination  for  the  West,  and  it 
is  likely  would  have  been  successful  had  he  con- 
sented to  stand,  for  large  numbers  of  that  sec- 
tion declared  they  would  have  supported  him, 
and  it  would  have  been  a  fine  proof  of  our  com- 
mon brotherhood  had  they  crossed  the  Concerns 
in  this  manner.  But  his  instant  and  peremptory 
decline  prevented  that  consummation. 

"  The  committee  has  on  it  m2ny  men  of 
ability,  financial  and  otherwise.  Messrs.  Taft, 
North,  and  Ferry,  at  New  York,  and  Shinkle, 
Kilbreth,  and  Bruehl,  of  Cincinnati,  are  the  lay 
centers  around  whom  the  twelve  district  mem- 
bers, chiefly  clerical,  revolve.  Their  character 
will  insure  business  force,  and  their  associates 
will  give  the  needed  literary  completeness." 
16 


242   Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
Methodist  Missions  Then  and  Now. 

the  year  1832  the  Missionary  Society  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  had  been 
in  somewhat  successful  operation  for  thir- 
teen years.  It  had  then  under  its  control  sev- 
eral domestic  but  no  foreign  missions.  These 
missions  were  in  newly-settled  parts  of  the 
country,  among  the  white  population,  and  in  the 
feeble  societies  in  the  older  sections,  which  for 
a  time  received  aid  from  the  funds  of  the  so- 
ciety, but  generally  soon  became  self-supporting. 
Also  there  were  established  missions  among  the 
colored  people  of  the  South,  both  free  and  bond. 
It  is  to  be  regretted  that  separate  statistics  are 
not  preserved  of  their  numerical  condition. 

The  colored  members  of  the  Church,  bond 
and  free,  in  all  the  twenty-two  conferences,  were 
reported  for  that  year  to  be  seventy-three  thou- 
sand eight  hundred  and  seventeen.  These,  of 
course,  resided  mostly  in  the  South.  Only  a 
few  of  these  belonged  to  the  regular  missionary 
appointments  of,  that  section  of  the  Church. 


Methodist  Missions.  243 

There  were  also  many  missions  among  the 
Indians  of  the  country.  Of  these,  among  the 
most  prominent  were  our  missions  among  the 
"  Oneidas,"  the  "  Kansas,"  the  "  Choctaws,"  the 
"  Cherokees,"  and  the  "  Wyandottes."  The  last 
named  attracted  much  attention.  The  manner 
of  its  origin  was  on  this  wise  :  John  Stewart,  a 
poor  but  pious  colored  brother  of  New  York 
city,  was  strangely  impressed,  in  the  year  1816, 
to  leave  his  home  and  travel  due  north-west  to 
somewhere  (of  the  distance  or  place  he  had  no 
idea)  and  there  preach  the  Gospel,  which  was 
designed  for  all  people.  These  impressions  his 
brethren  regarded  as  visionary,  and  many  sought 
to  discourage  him.  But  all  in  vain.  He  started 
on  his  journey,  like  Abraham  of  old,  "  not 
knowing  whither  he  went,"  and  guided,  as  he 
believed,  by  the  divine  Hand,  he  kept  on  his 
journey  till  he  was  constrained  to  stop,  as  he 
soon  found,  among  the  Wyandotte  Indians,  once 
a  powerful  nation,  the  most  ancient  settlers  of 
both  sides  of  the  Detroit  River.  Here  he  made 
his  mission  known,  and  preached  the  "glorious 
Gospel  "  through  an  interpreter  of  his  own  race. 

The  word  took  effect  Soon  God  gave  him 
many  souls  as  seals  of  his  divinely-appointed 
ministry.  Poor  John  Stewart  was  soon  the  ac- 
knowledged "  great  apostle  "  of  the  Wyandotte 


244  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

Indians.  Of  the  fruits  of  this  mission,  among 
others,  were  Brothers  "  Between  the  Logs," 
"  Bloody  Eyes,"  "  Striped  Snake,"  "  Monuncue," 
and  "  Gray  Eyes,"  powerful  chiefs  of  their  na- 
tion, who  became,  in  their  way,  eloquent  and 
powerful  Methodist  preachers. 

Other  missionaries  were  in  due  time  sent  to 
them,  and  this  mission  was  one  of  our  most  in- 
teresting and  successful  of  any  forty  years  ago. 
In  the  Minutes  of  that  year,  in  all  the  Indian 
missions,  there  were  reported  4,501  members. 

In  consequence  of  their  unfortunate  removal 
beyond  the  Mississippi  they  became  somewhat 
disorganized, 'and  the  next  year  were  reduced 
to  2,412,  a  decrease  of  2,089. 

During  that  year  a  new  impetus  was  given  to 
the  cause  of  missions  in  our  Church  by  the  es- 
tablishment of  our  first  American  Methodist 
Foreign  Mission.  This  was  the  Liberia  Mis- 
sion in  Africa.  It  began  on  this  wise  :  Among 
those  who  had  gone  to  reside  in  Africa  from  the 
United  States  were  a  few  of  our  Church-mem- 
bers, people  of  color,  and  some  colored  local 
preachers  of  good  standing  and  influence. 
These  sent  to  the  Parent  Missionary  Society  a 
plea  for  help.  The  society  heeded  the  call,  and 
resolved  to  send  them  a  missionary.  Rev.  Mel- 
ville B.  Cox,  of  the  Maine  Conference,  offered 


Methodist  Missions.  245 

to  go.  His  offer  was  accepted,  and  he  set  sail 
October  6,  1832,  for  his  important  mission.  His 
heart  had  been  set  upon  Africa  from  the  time 
of  his  appointment. 

It  is  said  that  near  the  time  of  his  departure 
for  Africa  his  dear  mother  threw  her  maternal 
arms  around  his  neck,  and  dropping  her  falling 
tears  upon  his  face,  exclaimed,  "  O,  Melville, 
how  can  I  give  thee  up  ? "  When  he,  turning 
his  imploring  eyes  toward  Africa,  exclaimed, 
"  O,  Africa,  how  can  I  give  thee  up  ? " 

On  the  eve  of  his  departure  a  friend  asked 
him,  "  Mr.  Cox,  if  you  shall  die  in  Africa,  what 
would  you  have  written  on  your  tombstone  ? " 
His  immediate  reply  was,  "  Though  a  thousand 
missionaries  fall,  yet  shall  Africa  be  redeemed." 
Another  version  of  his  answer  is,  "  Though  a 
thousand  missionaries  fall,  yet  let  not  Africa  be 
given  up."  * 

He  reached  his  destination  March  8,  1833, 
and  with  great  enthusiasm  entered  upon  the 
work  of  his  mission,  laying  broad  and  specific 
plans  for  the  future,  and  calling  upon  the  Parent 
Society  for  additional  means  and  missionaries 
to  carry  out  his  plans.  But,  alas  !  in  a  few  brief 
months  he  was  attacked  with  the  African  fever, 
and  died  July  21  of  that  year.  Other  mission- 

*  Bangs'  "History  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,"  vol.  iv. 


246  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

aries  were  sent,  and  the  Liberia  Mission  has 
ever  since  been  numbered  .among  the  most  im- 
portant in  our  foreign  field.  It  now  has  an 
annual  conference  of  somewhat  more  than 
twenty  preachers,  and  a  membership,  includ- 
ing probationers,  of  more  than  two  thousand, 
presided  over  by  a  resident  bishop  of  African 
descent. 

Another  important  mission  was  the  Flat 
Head,  or  Oregon  Mission.  Its  origin  was  cal- 
culated also  to  inspire  enthusiasm  for  its  sup- 
port. The  redmen  of  that  forest  region,  as  it 
then  was,  had  become  intensely  interested  to 
know  more  than  was  already  known  by  them  of 
the  "  white  man's  God  "  and  the  "  white  man's 
book."  They  therefore  sent  four  of  their  prin- 
cipal men  over  the  Rocky  Mountains,  a  distance 
of  three  thousand  miles,  to  St.  Louis,  to  make 
the  needed  inquiries.  Upon  reaching  their  des- 
tination they  promptly  unfolded  the  object  of 
their  long  wilderness  journey. 

Our  Missionary  Society  immediately  recog- 
nized it  as  a  call  from  God,  and  responded 
to  it  by  sending  them  two  missionary  preach- 
ers and  a  teacher,  Jason  and  Daniel  Lee, 
uncle  and  nephew,  and  Cyrus  Shepherd.  They 
went  out  with  a  large  fur-trading  company, 
and  traveled  from  St.  Louis,  then  on  the 


Methodist  Missions.  247 

borders  of  civilization,  through  forests  and  over 
mountains,  for  one  hundred  and  forty-two  days 
before  they  reached  the  Columbia  River,  the 
region  of  their  destination.  They  immediately 
entered  upon  their  laborious  mission  work, 
which  for  a  time  proved  successful  with  the 
Flat  Head  tribes  ;  but  these  were  destined  in  a 
few  years  to  disappear,  and  in  their  place  Ameri- 
can enterprise  and  thrift  were  to  supply  the 
region  with  an  intelligent,  industrious,  and  nu- 
merous population,  where  now  there  is  a  pros- 
perous State.  Our  Church  has  there  now  an 
annual  conference  of  able  ministers  and  a  large 
and  intelligent  membership,  a  college  and  other 
schools,  and  an  official  weekly  periodical,  the 
"  Oregon  Christian  Advocate." 

These  two  missions  of  forty  years  ago  awak- 
ened a  much-needed  interest,  a  zeal  and  liberal- 
ity, in  the  Church,  so  that  in  the  year  1834  the 
amount  of  receipts  reached  $35,700  15,  more 
than  twice  the  sum  of  the  year  before,  which  at 
that  time  was  regarded  as  doing  most  nobly 
for  this  cause ;  but  it  averaged  only  about 
six  and  a  half  cents  per  member  for  the  whole 
Church. 

In  the  New  England  conferences  the  average 
was  nearly  as  follows :  New  Hampshire  Confer- 
ence, about  four  and  one  half  cents  per  member ; 


248  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

New  England  Conference,  ten  and  three  quarters 
cents  ;  Maine  Conference,  about  sixteen  cents 
per  member. 

This  last  was  a  noble  expression  of  the  inter- 
est created  by  the  appointment  of  their  own 
beloved  Cox  to  the  Liberia  Mission,  and  his 
early  and  lamented  death. 

WHAT  A  CONTRAST  BETWEEN  FORTY  YEARS  AGO 
AND  NOW. 

Besides  the  Liberia  Mission  Conference,  to 
which  I  have  just  referred  the  reader,  we  have 
now  the  following  foreign  missions  : 

In  China,  that  world  of  riches  and  glory,  of 
superstition  and  idolatry,  which  had  been  till  a 
few  years  past  inaccessible  to  the  Christian 
world,  our  Church  has  now  a  prosperous  mis- 
sion, which  has  been  in  progress  since  1847. 
The  Foochow  Mission  has  5  missionaries,  5 
assistants,  some  68  native  preachers,  and,  in- 
cluding probationers,  nearly  1,700  members. 
They  have  a  printing-press,  printing  annually 
four  million  pages  for  the  use  of  the  mission, 
a  female  academy,  and  mission  property  valued 
at  not  less  than  $50,000. 

Another  mission  field  was  opened  in  Kiu- 
kiang  in  1868  with  good  results,  and  another  in 
Peking  in  1 869,  both  of  which  are  represented 


Methodist  Missions.  249 

as  giving  signs  of  great  promise  to  the 
Church. 

Our  German  Foreign  Mission  had  in  1871 
an  annual  conference  of  53  missionaries,  28  lo- 
cal preachers,  14  supplies  in  the  regular  work, 
and  nearly  7,500  lay  members,  including  pro- 
bationers ;  36  churches,  valued  at  $296,993  ; 
25  parsonages,  valued  at  $12,000,  and  more 
than  9,000  Sunday-school  scholars. 

The  mission  is  thoroughly  organized.  It  has 
a  theological  seminary,  and  other  educational 
advantages.  By  the  powerful  influence  of  na- 
tive German  preachers,  and  that  of  the  wonder- 
ful work  of  God  among  their  American  German 
brethren,  it  is  destined  to  accomplish  incalcula- 
ble good  to  the  people  of  that  "  fatherland."  It 
was  established  only  twenty-three  years  ago. 

Our  Scandinavian  Mission  had  in  1871  13 
missionary  preachers,  25  local  preachers,  3,662 
members,  14  chapels,  and  2,626  Sunday-school 
scholars.  The  missionary  report  of  last  year 
says,  "  Peace,  love,  and  harmony  reign  in  all  the 
societies  ;"  and  that  "  they  are  gaining  more  and 
more  the  respect  and  favor  of  the  community 
generally."  This  mission  has  existed  only  eight- 
een years. 

Our  India  Mission  has  an  annual  conference 
of  29  missionary  preachers,  23  assistants,  and 


250  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

and  32  helpers ;  between  1,200  and  1,300  mem- 
bers, embracing  those  on  probation ;  and  of  offi- 
cers, teachers,  and  scholars  in  Sunday-schools 
about  2,000.  "A  great  and  effectual  door  is 
opened  unto "  the  Church  in  this  far-off  land, 
and  God  is  graciously  giving  the  mission  great 
success.  This  is  the  result  of  sixteen  years' 
labor.  ; 

We  have  also  missions  in  Bulgaria,  in  Italy, 
and  in  South  America,  which  are  doing  good 
service  in  extending  the  kingdom  of  Christ  in 
the  earth. 

Another  important  foreign  mission  field  has 
been  recently  opened  to  Protestantism  in  the 
Republic  of  Mexico,  for  which,  in  the  providence 
of  God,  American  Churches  must  take  special 
care.  To  this  new  opening  our  Church  has 
very  properly  turned  her  attention,  and  ap- 
pointed to  its  superintendency  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Butler,  the  recent  efficient  superintendent  of 
our  missions  in  India,  with  an  appropriation  of 
ten  thousand  dollars  ;  and  what  is  also  especially 
encouraging,  she  has  decided  to  establish  an- 
other forthwith  in  Japan,  and  appropriated 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars  to  the  enterprise. 

Let  the  Church  rejoice  in  these  new  move- 
ments along  the  line  of  progress. 


Methodist  Missions.  251 

METHODIST  DOMESTIC  MISSIONS. 

Our  Domestic  Indian  Missions  have  been 
subjected  to  the  embarrassing  influences  of 
the  removal  of  the  Indians  to  new  homes  be- 
yond the  Mississippi,  to  their  constant  numeri- 
cal decrease,  and  to  their  wandering  habits  ; 
but  still  great  good  has  been  done  among  them 
through  missionary  efforts. 

We  have  now  16  missionaries.  1,675  mem- 
bers, and  22  local  preachers.  This  is  a  diminu- 
tion in  forty  years  in  numbers  of  2,829.  "  Lo,  the 
poor  Indian  ! "  What  a  doomed  race  !  Never- 
theless in  the  Oneida,  the  St.  Regis,  the  Catta- 
raugus,  the  Alleghany,  the  Tonawanda,  the 
Simcoe,  and  the  Siletz  Indian  tribes  our  mis- 
sionaries are  "  gathering  fruit  unto  eternal  life." 
In  some  of  these  they  are  "  making  marvelous 
advancement  in  agriculture,  civilization,  and  an 
earnest  religious  life."  In  all  "the  Gospel  is" 
seen  to  be  "  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  " 
from  sin  unto  many  of  these  wandering  natives 
of  the  forest 

In  our  German  Domestic  Missions  there  are 
380  effective  traveling  preachers,  nearly  half'  of 
whom  are  wholly  supported  by  their  own  peo- 
ple ;  the  others  are  supported  in  whole  or  in 
part  by  the  Missionary  Society.  They  have 


252  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

476  churches,  valued  at  $1,555,700.  They  re- 
port 210  parsonages,  valued  at  $272,050,  and 
raised  for  missions  $19,056  50.  Their  mem- 
bership is  reported  at  31,696,  including  proba- 
tioners.* All  this  is  the  work  of  less  than  forty 
years. 

The  rapidity  of  German  emigration  to  our 
country  may  be  seen  by  the  following  facts  :  In 
New  York  city  alone  in  nine  years,  including 
1871,  there  came  over  from  the  "fatherland" 
757,885  Germans.  In  the  year  1871,  83,601, 
an  increase  over  the  previous  year  of  12,329.! 

The  Scandinavian  Domestic  Mission  in  1871 
had  42  missionaries,  151  local  preachers,  56 
churches,  valued  at  nearly  $120,000;  and  20 
parsonages,  valued  at  about  $21,500.  They 
contributed  to  the  funds  of  the  missionary 
treasury  more  than  $2,400.  Six  of  the  above 
stations  are  self-supporting.  "  This  department 
of  our  missionary  work  is,  like  our  German, 
alive  all  over."  The  tide  of  emigration  from 
Scandinavia  has  swollen  from  3,188  in  1863,  to 
16,668  in  1870.  This  mission  began  its  opera- 
tions twenty-seven  years  ago. 

The  Chinese  Domestic  Mission  is  a  new  one, 

*  See  German  correspondent  in  General  Conference  "Daily 
Advocate." 

f  See  Report  of  Missionary  Society  for  1871. 


Methodist  Missions.  253 

and  of  vast  importance  to  the  Church  and  the 
country,  in  view  of  the  rush  of  emigrants  to  our 
country  from  the  celestial  empire.  It  was  com- 
menced five  years  ago,  and  had  in  1871  two 
missionaries  in  the  field.  It  must  eventually 
prove  successful. 

The  Utah  Mission  is  another  of  very  recent 
origin.  It  had  6  missionaries  in  1871,  and  120 
members,  3  Sunday-schools,  10  teachers,  and  400 
scholars.  Its  church  property  was  then  valued 
at  $30,000.  This  mission  is  a  peculiar  one,  and 
difficult  yet  with  faith  in  God  it  must  and  will 
succeed.  It  is  destined  to  become  a  great  power 
in  that  Mormon  land  to  counteract  the  false 
and  iniquitous  system  there  sanctioned.  They 
raised  last  year  for  missionary  purposes  the  sum 
of  $9,000,  which  was  expended  in  Utah.  They 
call  for  more  missionaries,  and  the  Missionary 
Society  of  our  Church  is  making  ample  provis- 
ion for  them,  and  our  appointing  power  is  sup- 
plying the  men  as  fast  as  possible. 

Another  domestic  territorial  mission,  com- 
menced last  year,  is  in  Montana,  a  mountain- 
ous, sparsely  settled  region  of  the  great  North- 
west. It  is,  however,  a  hopeful  field,  where  in 
due  time  an  abundant  harvest  will  be  gathered 
into  the  garner  of  the  Lord.  As  yet  their  sta- 
tistics are  incomplete. 


254  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

The  last  report  gives  3  missionaries,  3  local 
preachers,  50  members,  1 1  Sunday-schools,  and 
400  teachers  and  scholars. 

In  addition  to  these  we  have  domestic  mis- 
sion work  among  the  freedmen,  extending 
through  all  the  Southern  States.  These  freed- 
men show  great  eagerness  to  acquire  knowledge, 
and  are  fast  rising  into  social  and  civil  favor. 
Many  of  them  acquire  property  rapidly. 

The  membership  of  our  Church  is  fast  in- 
creasing among  them  ;  but  as  the  "  Freedmen's 
Aid  "  and  "  Church  Extension  "  Societies  have 
these  benevolent  operations  under  their  more 
immediate  supervision,  their  statistics  are  not 
given  in  our  missionary  report.  But  the  whole 
work  is,  nevertheless,  really  missionary  in  its 
character,  and  is  meeting  with  glorious  success. 

We  have  domestic  missions  among  our  En- 
glish-speaking population,  and  those  of  other 
languages  among  us,  requiring  more  money  for 
their  support  than  all  we  send  abroad  for  the 
support  of  our  foreign  work.  Our  Missionary 
Society  recognizes  this  demand,  and  to  its  ut- 
most extent  provides  for  it.  Wise  men  in  and 
out  of  our  Church  approve  of  the  effort  to 
Christianize  all  classes  of  the  people  in  our 
country. 


Methodist  Missions.  255 

OUR  AVERAGE  CONTRIBUTIONS  PER  MEMBER. 

Forty  years  ago,  as  before  stated,  the  aver- 
age contributions  per  member  were  only  some 
six  and  a  half  cents.  Our  contributions  in 
1872  from  all  sources  amounted  to  $661,000, 
which,  when  averaged  among  all  our  ministers 
and  lay  members,  give  us  an  average  of  a  little 
less  than  forty-seven  cents  per  member.  This 
average,  though  far  less  than  what  it  should  be, 
is  an  increase  quite  creditable  to  our  Church, 
especially  when  we  consider  the  number  of  col- 
lections and  subscriptions  taken  in  a  conference 
year  for  various  benevolent  objects.  Not  less 
than  seven  or  eight  others  are  ordered  by  our 
General  Conference.  Two  of  these,  "  The 
Freedmen's  Aid  "  and  the  "  Church  Extension  " 
Societies,  are  closely  allied  to  the  cause  of  mis- 
sions. If  these  were  added  they  would  swell 
the  amount  of  our  benevolent  contributions  for 
real  missionary  purposes  to  a  much  higher 
figure. 

The  Church,  however,  ought  to  average  at 
least  one  dollar  per  member  for  the  mission 
cause  alone.  It  is  worthy  of  it.  The  open 
fields  throughout  the  world  are  ripe  for  the  har- 
vest. In  those  countries  where  papacy  has  kept 
out  the  truth  for  centuries  the  Christian  Church 


256  Methodism  Forty  Years  Ago  and  Now. 

can  now  enter  and  reap  down  the  whitening 
harvest.  All  Europe,  all  Asia,  all  America, 
and,  indeed,  the  whole  world,  is  open  to  the 
spread  of  Gospel  truth  as  never  before. 

The  call  is  loud  to  the  Church  to  enter  these 
open  fields  and  "  gather  fruit  unto  life  eternal." 
Where  is  there  an  enlightened  Christian  in  the 
whole  Church  who  does  not  feel  his  "  heart 
burn  within  him  "  to  do  all  he  can  to  extend 
"  this  Gospel  of  the  kingdom  throughout  the 
world?" 


METHODISM  :    PRESENT  AND    PROSPECTIVE. 

tHE  writer  of  the  foregoing  pages  has  made 
frequent  reference  to  our  past  successful 
progress    and    present    prosperity   as    a 
Church,  and  taken  a  hopeful  forward  look  to- 
ward great  and  increasing  success  for  years  to 
come. 

But  we  must  not  be  forgetful  of  the  contin- 
gencies which  must  be  met  on  the  part  of  his 
Church,  with  fidelity  to  the  cause  of  God  and 
in  constant  harmony  with  the  claims  of  an  all- 
wise  and  gracious  Providence  and  of  human 
agency. 

We  call  the  careful  and  prayerful  attention 
of  our  ministers  and  lay  members  to  some  of 
the  various  demands  upon  us  which  are  insep- 
arably connected  with  our  present  and  future 
welfare  as  a  Church,  as  suggested  in  the  follow- 
ing chapters. 

17 


Her  Dangers  and  Duties.  259 


CHAPTER  I. 
Methodism — Her  Dangers  and  Her  Duties. 

tHE  present  numerical  strength,  financial 
ability,  excellent  system  of  doctrine,  ef- 
ficient Church  polity,  great  .educational 
facilities,  and  other  favorable  denominational 
characteristics  of  Methodism,  whether  taken 
singly  or  collectively,  give  a  hopeful  look  for 
future  success.  We  are  prone  to  think  that  her 
borders  are  so  widely  extended,  that  her  stakes 
are  so  firmly  set,  that  her  "  mountain  "  is  so 
"  strong,"  and  her  "  walls  "  so  impregnable,  that 
there  can  be  no  chance  of  a  failure  to  fulfill  the 
great  mission  for  which  God  in  his  providence 
has  raised  her  up.  But  thoughtful  minds  see 
the  need  of  great  care  and  caution  lest  her 
power  for  good  be  turned  into  wrong  channels, 
and  she  fail  of  the  end  sought — "  the  spread  of 
scriptural  holiness  over  all  lands." 

Paradoxical  as  it  may  seem,  her  success  may 
prove  her  failure,  her  prosperity  her  adversity, 
and  her  triumphs  her  overthrow.  We  should 


260    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective. 

take  good  heed  that  we  be  not  found  bowing 
the  knee  and  offering  idolatrous  worship  to 
this  beau  ideal  of  Methodistic  greatness  and 
glory  instead  of  paying  the  homage  so  appro- 
priately due  to  Him  who  is  "  the  author  and 
finisher  of  our  faith."  Let  us  carefully  consider 
some  of  the  dangers  and  duties  growing  out  of 
the  past  success  and  present  prosperous  condi- 
tion of  Methodism.  We  will,  then,  first  state 
that 

METHODISM,     BY     HER     NUMERICAL     STRENGTH, 
HAS    HER   SPECIAL    DANGERS    AND    DUTIES. 

In  another-  chapter  attention  has  been  called 
to  the  fact  that  our  Church  has  a  million  and  a 
half  of  members.  If  her  prosperity  continues 
she  must  number  many  millions-  by  the  close 
of  her  second  century.  But  her  real  strength 
is  not  to  be  found  in  her  numbers.  When 
other  denominations  of  Christians  had  been  long 
established  and  had  become  numerically  strong, 
Methodism  began,  in  the  midst  of  great  opposi- 
tion and  poverty,  to  outstrip  in  success  these 
older  and  stronger  Churches.  By  what  means  ? 
"  By  the  weapons  of  warfare  which  are  not 
carnal,  but  mighty  through  God  to  the  pull- 
ing down  of  the  strongholds  "  of  all  opposing 
influences. 


Her  Dangers  and  Duties.  261 

But  what  if  her  vitality  should  be  lost,  and 
she  be  left  to  boastfully  count  up  her  numbers 
to  ascertain  her  real  strength  ?  She  would  then 
offend  God,  as  did  David  when  "  he  numbered 
Israel."  Gideon  was  stronger  with  his  three 
hundred  "  valiant-hearted  men,"  who  could  en- 
dure the  severest  tests,  than  with  all  the  thirty- 
two  thousand  who  first  came  to  the  conflict. 
Methodism,  with  all  her  numbers,  if  she  come 
"  not  up  ,to  the  help  of  the  Lord  "  in  her  great 
mission,  is  liable  to  be  "  cursed  mightily,"  as , 
was  Meroz  of  old  for  a  like  failure  of  duty. 

There  is  a  fearful  responsibility  resting  upon 
her.  "  The  kingdom  of  darkness  "  yet  extends 
over  a  vast  majority  of  our  fallen  race.  "  There 
remains  yet  very  much  land  to  be  possessed  ; " 
and  unless  she  properly  cultivate  her  appropri- 
ate part  thereof,  as  our  great  Lord  of  the  vine- 
yard demands  of  her,  a  blighting  curse  will  rest 
upon  her  for  "  cumbering  the  ground."  May 
Methodism — "  Christianity  in  earnest,"  as  Dr. 
Chalmers  called  it — be  enabled  to  put  to  useful 
and  active  service  in  her  wide  field  each  and  all 
of  her  great  membership,  and  "  keep  them  at  it, 
all  at  it,  and  always  at  it,"  for  Christ's  sake  I 


262    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective. 

THERE  ARE  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES  OF  METHOD- 
ISM, ALSO,  IN  RELATION  TO  HER  FINANCIAL 
PROSPERITY. 

Our  Church  has  risen  from  a  state  of  extreme 
poverty  to  comparative  affluence.  This  is  not 
alike  apparent  in  all  parts  of  our  extended  bor- 
ders. In  the  New  Hampshire  and  some  other 
New  England  Conferences  we  fail  to  secure  it. 
In  some  parts  of  the  South,  devastated  by  the 
ravages  of  war,  her  members  are  mostly  poor ; 
and  especially  the  recent  bondmen,  but  now 
rejoicing  freedmen,  are  yet  in  the  low  vale  of 
poverty.  So  also  are  many  of  the  new  settlers 
of  the  far  West  struggling  against  financial  em- 
barrassments. But  there  are  in  various  por- 
tions of  Methodism,  among  its  members,  many 
who  are  in  highly  affluent  circumstances,  some 
of  princely  wealth,  men  capable  of  bestowing 
their  money  with  a  liberal  hand  upon  our  vari- 
ous Church  enterprises  if  they  are  so  disposed, 
and  there  are  some  noble  examples  among 
them  of  doing  it.  But  there  is  a  dangerous 
tendency  on  the  part  of  rich  men  to  use  their 
means  for  what  is  not  for  the  glory  of  God  or 
the  well-being  of  their  fellow-men.  We  can 
see  this  tendency  to  lavish  their  money  upon 
personal  decorations,  superfluous  ornaments, 


Her  Dangers  and  Duties.  263 

unreasonably  costly  apparel,  and  extravagant 
style  of  life  in  general.  Others  bestow  it  very 
bountifully  toward  the  erection  and  support 
of  splendid  and  extravagantly-furnished  church 
edifices ;  while  others  still  hold  and  hoard  their 
treasures  with  a  miserly  grasp  for  future  days, 
and  leave  the  cause  of  God  to  languish  by  their 
neglect.  There  is  a  proneness  to  trust  in 
"  uncertain  riches."  The  Church  may  lose  her 
vitality  thereby,  and,  like  the  ancient  Laodi- 
ceans,  come  to  feel  that  she  is  "rich  and  in- 
creased in  goods,  and  has  need  of  nothing,"  in 
herself  quite  equal  for  all  emergencies,  when  she 
is  really  poor  and  powerless  by  the  lack  of  the 
"one  thing"  most  needful — "the  true  riches." 

"  But  I  am  persuaded  better  things  "  of  most 
of  her  membership,  "things  that  pertain  to 
salvation,"  though  I  thus  write  of  others  and  of 
the  natural  tendency  of  earthly  riches.  Much 
faithful  instruction  on  the  part  of  our  religious 
teachers,  and  much  earnest  prayer,  watchful- 
ness, and  "holy  living"  on  the  part  of  our  cler- 
ical and  lay  membership,  will  be  needed  to 
carry  into  constant  practical  use  the  good  old 
Wesleyan  rule,  to  "get  all  you  can,  give  all  you 
can,  and  keep  all  you  can ; "  that  is,  be  indus- 
trious to  acquire,  frugal  in  expenditure,  cheerful 
and  liberal,  according  as  God  has  prospered  you, 


264    Methodism  :  Present  and  Prospective. 

to  give  to  all  good  causes,  and  then  save  the 
rest  for  providential  necessities.  To  this  end 
the  wealth  of  each  Church-member  needs  to  be 
consecrated  to  God,  together  with  all  he  is  and 
all  he  has,- and  indeed  is  already  consecrated,  by 
each  truly  devoted  disciple.  For  he  who  is 
faithful  in  the  use  of  "  this  world's  goods  "  can 
with  greater  safety  be  trusted  with  "the  true 
riches "  than  he  who  wastes  or  hoards  "  his 
Lord's  goods." 

We  can  also  most  distinctly  see  that  there 
are  special  dangers  and  duties  with  reference 
to  our  extensive 

MISSIONARY    ENTERPRISES. 

The  enthusiasm  in  our  Church  for  the  cause 
of  missions  began  to  be  developed  some  forty 
years  since,  at  which  time  our  first  foreign  mis- 
sions were  established.  It  continued  to  grow 
with  her  growth,  and  to  strengthen  with  her 
strength,  until  it  reached  its  climax  in  1861,  at 
the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  rebellion. 
Till  then  her  treasury  received,  annually,  in- 
creased funds,  and  it  was  confidently  expected 
that  before  now  her  contributions  would  have 
reached  to  a  million  dollars  or  more.  But,  un- 
fortunately, since  then  her  zeal  and  her  mis- 
sionary receipts  have  been  nearly  at  a  stand-still, 


Her  Dangers  and  Duties.  265 

her  contributions  having  been  about  the  same 
from  year  to  year. 

This  is  not  in  keeping  with  her  constant 
increase  in  numbers  and  wealth,  nor  is  it  in 
harmony  with  the  new  openings  which  are  con- 
tinually made,  by  the  providence  of  God,  for 
the  spread  of  the  Gospel  in  lands  which  until 
recently  have  been  inaccessible  to  the  Church 
of  Christ.  And,  especially,  it  is  not  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  pressing  demands  for  more 
men  and  means  in  the  field  she  now  occupies. 
There  is  need,  to-day,  of  a  revival  of  the  old 
missionary  fire,  kindled  by  such  burning  elo- 
quence as  came  from  the  hearts  and  fell 'from 
the  lips  of  her  former  missionary  secretaries — 
Dr.  Pitman  and  Dr.  Durbin — in  their  palmi- 
est days,  such  an  enthusiasm  as  shall  burn  into 
the  hearts  and  open  the  pockets  of  our  people  to 
give  "  as  God  hath  prospered  them."  Method- 
ism is  in  danger  of  resting  at  ease  at  this  point 
when  God  speaks,  in  language  too  plain  and 
too  distinct  to  be  misunderstood,  unto  her  to 
"go  forward." 

There  is  also  danger  that  she  will  neglect 
the  imperative  demands  of  the  foreign  field  by 
reason  of  the  pressing  needs  of  her  domestic 
or  home  work.  Not  that  there  is  too  much 
done- at  home.  Far  from  it;  she  is  not  doing 


266    Methodism  :  Present  and  Prospective. 

enough.  But  when  the  openings  are  so  wide 
and  the  demands  so  great  for  the  Gospel  in 
lands  where  "  the  people  sit  in  the  darkness 
of  nature's  night,"  it  must  have  a  depressing 
influence  upon  all  right-minded  Christian  peo- 
ple to  feel  that  the  larger  portion  of  all  our 
contributions  never  go  to  aid  our  foreign  work. 
Could  not  more  be  raised,  and  raised  easier,  if 
our  foreign  and  domestic  mission  work  should 
be  placed  under  the  supervision  of  separate 
organizations  ?  This  question  is  now  being 
seriously  considered  by  some  of  the  leading 
minds  in  the  Church.  In  some  way  our  con- 
tributions for  both  foreign  and  domestic  uses 
ought  to  be  greatly  increased. 

Another  danger  to  our  mission  work  is,  the 
depressing  influences  and  depleting  effects  of 
overworking  our  foreign  missionaries.  Some 
of  our  foreign  missions  may  fail,  some  have  al- 
ready failed.  Many  of  our  most  prosperous  are 
not,  and  never  were,  adequately  manned.  For 
the  want  of  more  men  and  means  our  mission- 
aries there  are  overworked  by  their  laborious 
efforts  to  meet  the  pressing  demands  of  their 
missions,  and  in  their  labors  to  extend  their  in- 
fluence into  the  new  openings  around  them. 

While  the  Church  prays  "the  Lord  of  the 
harvest  to  send  more  laborers  into  the  har- 


Her  Dangers  and  Duties.  267 

vest-field,"  she  will  also  need  to  accompany  her 
prayers  with  greatly  increased  contributions 
and  corresponding  effort  to  extend  the  Gospel 
among  all  mankind,  in  order  to  receive  gracious 
answers  to  her  prayers. 

METHODISM  HAS  ALSO  DANGERS  AND  DUTIES 
WITH  REFERENCE  TO  THE  REQUISITE  QUALI- 
FICATIONS FOR  HER  MINISTRY. 

In  a  previous  chapter  reference  has  been 
made  to  our  seminaries,  colleges,  and  theological 
schools,  and  to  the  good  they  have  accomplished 
for  the  Church  during  the  last  forty  years. 
What  a  change  have  we  witnessed — a  great  and 
favorable  change — in  the  opinions  of  our  minis- 
try and  membership  on  the  subject  of  theolog- 
ical schools  !  The  prevailing  sentiment  of  the 
Church  may  now  be  presumed  to  be  in  favor  of 
the  theological  education  of  her  ministry  in  such 
schools  whenever  practicable. 

It  would  be  an  occasion  of  great  joy  to  many 
of  our  people  if  our  young  men  who  are  to  enter 
our  itinerant  ministry  could  have  the  advantages 
of  three  years'  academic  study  preparatory  to 
entering  college,  then  a  full  collegiate  course  of 
four  years  more,  and  then  three  years  more  in 
a  theological  seminary,  before  entering  our  trav- 
eling connection  for  their  important  life-work. 


268    Methodism:  Present  and  Prospective. 

The  more  of  such  well-educated,  divinely-called, 
and  graciously-qualified  ministers  in  our  itiner- 
ant ranks  the  better  for  all  concerned.  With 
open  hearts  and  arms  the  Church  should  wel- 
come them. 

But  may  the  day  be  far  distant  when 
such  only  shall  be  admitted  to  our  itinerant 
ranks  !  Even  the  exclusion  of  all  but  graduates 
of  colleges  from  our  theological  schools  would 
prove  a  hazardous  step.  No  less  so  would  be 
the  non-admission  of  all  applicants  for  member- 
ship to  our  conferences  who  had  never  received 
their  three  years'  training  in  some  one  of  our 
theological  schools. 

God  often  calls  to  the  Christian  ministry  men 
from  on  ship-board,  from  the  work-shop,  from 
the  fishing-boat,  and  from  the  plow  at  such  pe- 
riods in  their  lives  when  it  would  be  imprac- 
ticable for  them  to  spend  even  three  years  in  a 
theological  seminary  before  entering  upon  their 
divinely-called  mission. 

With  good  health,  clear  heads,  pure  hearts, 
industrious  habits,  careful  self-culture,  and, 
above  all,  with  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  they 
make  efficient  ministers  of  the  Gospel.  Such 
were  some  of  the  men  whom  Christ  called  into 
his  early  ministry.  Such  were  some  of  Wes- 
ley's very  efficient  helpers  in  the  infancy  of 


Her  Dangers  and  Duties.  269 

Methodism.  Such  have  been  some  of  her  lead- 
ing ministers  both  in  England  and  America 
during  her  history  of  a  whole  century  and  a 
third  of  another.  Such  are  needed  still  in  va- 
rious parts  of  our  widely-extended  fields  as  well 
as  college  and  theological  graduates,  who  in 
their  appropriate  spheres  of  labor  and  influence 
will  accomplish  great  good. 

Our  ministry  should  be  spiritual,  divinely 
called,  and  drawn  from  the  people  among  whom 
they  are  to  serve — men  who  know  how  to  sym- 
pathize with  "  the  common  people "  of  their 
various  pastoral  charges  ;  men  who  understand 
their  peculiar  tastes,  their  real  necessities,  their 
temptations,  and  their  struggles  with  the  ad- 
verse scenes  of  life.  Such  men  are  needed  in 
the  ministry  every-where  ;  and  whether  they 
graduate  from  the  college,  the  theological  sem- 
inary, or  the  work-shop,  or  any  other  common 
avocation  of  life,  they  know  how  to  instruct  the 
heads  and  touch  the  hearts  of  the  middle  and 
lower  strata  of  mankind,  which  embrace  the 
majority  of  all  communities.  Such  hear  Christ 
through  his  own  chosen  ministers  more  gladly 
than  do  the  so-called  higher  grades  of  mankind. 

Methodism  has  always  been  supplied  and 
sustained  mainly  by  people  from  the  middle  and 
lower  walks  of  life — by  those  who  have  been 


2/o    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective. 

mentally,  financially,  socially,  and  morally  ele- 
vated by  her  quickening  and  exalting  influences. 
If  the  cause  of  God,  through  her  instrumentality, 
is  to  go  on  as  in  the  past,  her  ministry  must  be 
educated  (in  order  to  real  efficiency)  in  a  man- 
ner which  shall  not  emasculate  their  physical 
energies,  or  render  them  too  delicate  to  touch 
the  rustic  part  of  the  people,  nor  cause  them  to 
be  exalted  above  their  business — an  education 
which  will  not  create  a  "  spirit  of  caste  "  among 
their  fellow-laborers,  nor  influence  them  to  feel 
that  superior  advantages  entitle  them  to  the 
best  stations.  Otherwise,  whatever  their  edu- 
cation, they  will  become  disqualified  for  the 
ministry,  especially  the  Methodist  ministry. 
They  are  mere  nuisances,  humbugs,  not  to  be 
tolerated  by  the  people.  "  True  education," 
says  a  certain  writer,  "  never  lifts  a  man  out 
of  his  sphere,  but  renders  him  efficient  in  every 
toil  the  cause  of  Christ  may  call  him  to."  We 
should  most  heartily  give  thanks  to  the  great 
Head  of  the  Church  that  our  Methodist  institu- 
tions of  learning  have  very  extensively  produced 
true,  earnest  men,  who  are  willing,  with  hearts 
and  hands,  to  work  for  Christ  uncomplainingly 
in  any  department  of  his  great  spiritual  vine- 
yard. 

In  our  solicitous  forward  look  for  Methodistic 


Her  Dangers  and  Duties.  271 

success,  we  see  the  need  of  constant  care  to 
keep  our  ministry  in  the  true  "  apostolic  succes- 
sion," called  of  God  whether  learned  or  not,  and 
qualified  by  the  Holy  Ghost  for  their  work,  and 
true  to  our  itinerant  ministry. 

There  are  other  dangers  and  duties  which 
might  be  appropriately  referred  to  if  time  and 
space  would  justify  ;  but  in  the  light  of  such  as 
have  been  alluded  to  the  common  reader  (if  he 
has  not  already)  may  easily  discern  them,  though 
they  be  not  specially  here  named. 

Whatever  dangers  there  are  to  be  avoided  by 
Methodism  may  she  timely  and  safely  escape 
them,  and  perform  all  her  duties  promptly  and 
faithfully,  to  the  glory  of  God  and  the  well-being 
of  mankind ! 


272    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Methodism—  Her  Responsibilities  with    Ref- 
erence to  the  Youth  of  our  Country. 


another  place  I  have  called  attention  to 
the  numerical  strength  of  Methodism,  and 
stated  that  we  have,  as  seen  by  our  Church 
statistics,  some  one  and  a  half  million  members, 
and  that  we  may  safely  estimate  that  some  four 
or  five  times  this  number  are  adherents  of  our 
denomination. 

Is  it  not  then  safe  to  calculate  that  of  this 
vast  number  there  are  some  two  or  three  mill- 
ions of  children  and  youth  who  are  in  their 
minority,  and  millions  more  cared  for  by  no 
evangelical  Church  in  particular,  who  are  under 
the  soul-destroying  influences  of  infidelity,  pop- 
ery, and  other  forms  of  fatal  error,  many  of 
whom  are  "  led  captive  by  Satan  at  his  will  ?  " 
Among  these  are  vast  numbers  of  poor  out- 
casts, penniless  beggars,  neglected  orphans,  and 
children  of  dissolute  parents,  whose  low  habits, 
vitiated  tastes,  and  neglected  mental  and  moral 


The  Youth  of  Our  Country.  273 

culture,  show  most  distinctly  that  "  no  man  car- 
eth  for  their  souls." 

Our  Church  has  a  special  responsibility  rest- 
ing upon  her  to  look  after  the  present  and 
eternal  welfare  of  all  these  millions  of  youth. 
She  should  send  forth  her  servants  into  all  "  the 
highways  and  byways,"  not  only  after  adults, 
but  all  the  children  and  young  people,  and  in- 
vite them  to  the  means  of  grace,  that  our 
"  houses  may  be  filled,"  and  others  erected  con- 
stantly. She  has  most  excellent  facilities  for 
their  improvement  at  this  day  above  any  former 
time,  which  she  should  eagerly  take  advantage 
of,  and  faithfully  seek  after  all  for  whom  the 
provision  is  or  can  be  made. 

Among  these  is  our  well-organized  Sunday- 
School  Union,  with  its .  thousands  of  library 
volumes,  Sunday-School  Advocate,  Teachers' 
Journal,  Sunday-School  Requisites,  and,  to 
some  extent,  charity  contributions,  to  aid  poor 
and  needy  schools  now  existing,  and,  as  far  as 
possible,  to  establish  mission  schools  in  our 
country. 

The  work  of  systematic,  organized  canvassing 
of  parishes  each  month  by  committees  appointed 
to  this  special  duty  has  been  and  is  being  suc- 
cessfully tried  in  some  sections  of  our  Church, 

and,  in  the  estimation  of  good  judges,  is  worthy 
18 


274    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective. 

of  imitation  by  our  people  in  many  other  parts 
of  our  great  field. 

Does  not  our  blessed  Lord  and  Master  call  upon 
his  modern  servants  to  go  out  into  the  streets 
and  lanes  of  our  cities,  and  into  the  highways  of 
our  country,  and  invite,  yea,  compel,  if  possible, 
by  earnest  entreaty,  all  grades  of  our  neglected 
or  wayward  youth  to  come  to  our  Sunday-schools 
and  enjoy  the  "  rich  feasts  "  there  provided  ? 

In  a  recent  communication  in  "  Zion's  Her- 
ald," Bishop  Haven  says  :  "  It  is  estimated  that 
there  are  six  millions  of  people  in  the  Ignited 
States  who  are  denominationally  connected  with 
the  Methodist  Church  ;  there  are  enrolled  in 
our  Sunday-schools  about  a  million  and  a  quar- 
ter. Or,  in  other  words,  only  one  in  five  of  our 
people  are  connected  with  our  Sunday-schools. 
The  facts  thus  presented  demand  the  careful 
consideration  of  every  Christian.  Undoubtedly 
we  may  throw  out  of  the  account  a  million  and 
a  half  who  are  too  young,  or  infirm,  or  sick,  or 
caring  for  the  sick,  or  otherwise  excused  from 
attending  the  Sunday-school,  but  even  then  we 
have  two  millions  and  a  quarter  unaccounted 
for.  No  one  can  claim  that  more  than  a  million 
should  be  excused,  and  that  leaves  a  million 
and  a  quarter  who  ought  to  be  in  the  Sunday- 
schools  of  our  Church.  Many  of  these  are 


The  Youth  of  Our  Country.  275 

young  people  who  have  attended  more  or  less, 
and  for  some  reason  have  dropped  away,  and 
are  drifting  off  from  the  old  ways,  and  incurring 
danger  of  fatal  shipwreck.  Many  more  are 
members  of  the  Church,  who  have  no  good 
excuse  for  their  non-attendance.  They  need  to 
study  the  word  of  God,  for  they  have  all  too 
little  knowledge  of  its  precious  truths,  and  cer- 
tainly they  owe  it  to  the  Church,  and  to  the 
young,  and  to  those  who  are  toiling  in  this  field 
of  labor,  that  they  as  Christians  should  give  this 
all-important  interest  and  institution  of  the 
Church  the  support  of  their  presence,  sym- 
pathy, and  active  effort. 

"  The  General  Conference  which  has  just 
closed  has  given  special  attention  to  the  cause 
of  Sunday-schools.  It  has  placed  at  the  head 
of  this  department  a  man  who  stands  confess- 
edly at  the  head  of  all  workers  in  this  branch  of 
Christian  effort — a  man  well  known  and  tried — 
and  under  his  management  there  is  no  reason 
why  the  inexcusably  absent  million  and  a  quar- 
ter may  not  be  brought  in.  It  can  be  done,  and 
it  will  be  done  if  our  ministers  and  Sunday- 
school  officers,  teachers,  and  scholars  will  work. 
Work  is  the  word,  and  enough  of  it,  with  God's 
blessing,  will  double  the  Sunday-schools  of  our 
Church  within  the  next  four  years." 


276    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective. 

Our  Church  has  also  advantages  for  the  edu- 
cation of  our  youth  in  her  many  institutions  of 
learning  in  the  country  open  for  their  benefit, 
and  to  which  they  are  or  should  be  cordially  in- 
vited. These  schools  are  favorably  located  in 
different  States  a^id  conferences,  and  thus  made 
easily  accessible  to  the  multitudes,  who  need 
the  mental  and  moral  culture  they  can  impart. 
Many  more  such  institutions  will  be  needed  and 
established  for  the  increasing  demands  which 
our  future  progress  will  make  imperative  upon 
our  people.  There  is  present  ability  in  the 
Methodist  Church  to  richly  endow  our  existing 
institutions,  and  even  establish  more  if  the 
wealth  of  our  people  can  be  turned  into  the 
right  channels.  Rich  men  abound  in  the 
Church ;  but  the  manifest  tendency  now  is,  as 
before  stated,  to  turn  this  wealth  too  freely, 
as  compared  with  other  wants,  into  extravagant 
personal  and  family  expenditures  and  costly 
churches,  while  our  institutions  of  learning,  in 
some  instances  at  least,  are  left  to  languish  for 
want  of  funds.  This  tendency  in  the  use  of 
moneyed  wealth,  it  is  believed,  is  destined  to  be 
changed  to  more  liberal  bestowment  upon  our 
educational  interests.  Some  noble  examples 
have  already  been  witnessed  among  our  people 
of  rich  men  who  have  consecrated  largely  of 


Youth  of  Our  Country.  2/7 

their  wealth  to  aid  these  important  objects,  and 
others  will  follow  in  their  path.  Our  pastors, 
our  periodicals,  and  noble-hearted  laymen  will 
call  attention  to  this  channel  of  benevolence 
and  usefulness,  and  we  shall  see  our  schools 
better  cared  for. 

The  demand  for  the  education  of  our  youth 
is  constantly  increasing.  We  need  educated 
Christian  young  gentlemen  and  ladies  for  clerks 
in  our  counting-rooms,  for  teachers  in  our.  acad- 
emies and  high  and  common  schools,  for  editors 
and  authors,  for  Sunday-school  superintendents 
and  teachers,  for  ministers  in  the  home  and  mis- 
sion fields  of  the  Church,  and  many  other  depart- 
ments of  business  life.  They,  indeed,  are  needed 
every-where,  not  to  the  exclusion  of  the  less 
educated,  for  there  is  room  for  all  to  work  some- 
where in  the  Master's  great  vineyard  ;  but  edu- 
cated youth,  with  the  love  of  God  in  their  souls, 
can  be  made  more  available  for,  and  better 
adapted  to,  any  and  every  place  than  they  oth- 
erwise could  be.  The  Church  should  make 
special  efforts  to  rally  our  youth  to  our  schools. 
Even  the  low,  degraded,  and  poor  should  not 
be  overlooked.  They  may  be  inspired  to  rally 
their  energies,  and  be  made  bright  and  shining 
ornaments  in  the  world. 

There  is  a  special  responsibility  resting  upon 


278    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective. 

our  Church  to  labor  for  the  conversion  and  re- 
ligious culture  of  the  youth  of  our  country,  and 
particularly  for  those  who  are  more  immediately 
under  her  influence.  Her  decline  or  continued 
growth  depends  largely  upon  it.  The  welfare 
of  coming  generations  is  involved  in  it.  .  The 
present  and  eternal  salvation  of  millions  requires 
it.  Youth  is  the  season  when  this  special  ef- 
fort for  their  personal  consecration  to  Christ 
and  religious  culture  will  prove  most  successful. 

Earnest,  believing  prayer,  united  with  corre- 
spondingly faithful  effort,  must  secure'  a  gracious 
harvest.  They  need  the  moral  and  religious 
culture  of  Church  and  Sabbath-school  instruc- 
tion. They  need  the  example  and  hallowing 
influences  of  pious  homes.  They  need  all  the 
mental  and  moral  discipline  of  the  best  schools 
which  can  be  possibly  afforded  them.  But, 
above  all,  they  need  conversion  to  Christ  and  the 
cultivation  of  Christian  virtues,  short  of  which 
all  other  culture  will  not  avail  them  "  in  the  day 
of  the  Lord  Jesus." 

The  Church  should  not  stop  short  of  this 
saving  result.  If  any  of  our  youth  should  resist 
all  proper  personal  effort  the  responsibility  must 
rest  on  them  ;  but  faithful  effort  for  their  salva- 
tion must  in  a  majority  of  cases  prove  success- 
ful. Such  "labor  shall  not  be  vain  in  the 


The  Youth  of  our  Country.  279 

Lord."  It  may  not  be  one  particular  Sunday- 
school  lesson,  or  sermon,  or  song  of  praise,  or 
exhortation,  or  prayer,  that  will  be  the  means 
alone  in  the  salvation  of  a  soul  ;  but  all  these 
combined  should  be  employed  to  bring  about 
such  a  happy  result.  While  a  Paul  plants 
and  an  Apollos  waters,  God  giveth  the  in- 
crease. 

The  stars  will,  at  last,  be  found  in  the  right 
crowns  when  "  the  wise  shall  shine  forth  as  the 
brightness  of  the  firmament,"  and  those  who 
have  "  turned  many  to  righteousness  "  shall  shine 
with  brighter  effulgence,  having  these  "  stars 
for  ever  and  ever  "  to  bedeck  "  their  crown  of 
rejoicing." 


280    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Methodism— Her  Converts  and  Probationers. 

JJR.  Church  began  in  a  revival  of  religion, 
and  her  rapid  increase  has  been  kept  up 
by  an  almost  unbroken  succession  of  re- 
vival efforts.  Our  fathers  in  this  country,  a 
half  century  ago,  had  remarkable  revivals  of  re- 
ligion, and  gathered  much  precious  "  fruit  unto 
life  eternal ; "  and  other  denominations  of  Chris- 
tians made  large  accessions  to  their  communions 
by  securing  many  who  were  converted  at  our 
altars.  Similar  revival  efforts  at  this  day  pro- 
duce similar  results.  Our  Church  periodicals 
bring  us,  from  week  to  week,  cheering  news 
from  the  different  parts  of  our  work  of  great  and 
precious  revivals,  in  which  hundreds  are  con- 
verted to  Christ.  We  live  in  days  of  great  "  re- 
freshing from  the  presence  of  the  Lord."  Our 
denominational  increase,  though  less  rapid  than 
fifty  years  ago,  is,  nevertheless,  very  encourag- 
ing to  all  the  lovers  of  our  Zion.  But  this  in- 
crease is  not  in  proportion  to  our  reported 


Converts  and  Probationers.  281 

revival  success.  This  fact  is  so  apparent  that 
it  is  awakening  in  some  of  our  most  thoughtful 
and  careful  observers  special  attention.  It  is  a 
matter  which  cannot  be  too  carefully  considered, 
and  the  causes  well  understood,  and  the  reme- 
dies faithfully  applied.  . 

The  true  Church  is  the  bride  of  Christ  and 
the  mother  of  his  spiritual  children.  For  them 
she  has  "  travailed  in  birth,  till  Christ  has  been 
formed  in  them."  "  They  are  her  joy  and 
crown,"  and  she  has  "  no  greater  joy  than  to 
know  that  they  are  walking  in  the  truth."  If 
true  to  her  Lord  and  his  cause,  she  will  throw 
around  them  her  arms  of  protection,  and  extend 
to  them  all  proper  nurturing  care. 

Different  branches  of  the  Church  of  Christ 
provide  different  methods  for  securing  their 
converts  to  their  own  communions.  Methodism 
offers  special  advantages  to  her  converts.  In 
addition  to  the  common  means  of  grace  enjoyed 
by  her  and  other  Churches,  she  provides  a  six 
months'  probation.  Into  this  relation  the  young 
converts  can  very  properly  be  immediately  re- 
ceived, and  thereby  placed  under  the  special 
watch-care  and  guidance  of  the  pastor  and  his 
assistant,  the  class-leader,  and  enjoy  the  bene- 
fits of  weekly  attendance  on  class.  But  special 
care  should  be  taken  by  her  pastors  and  mem- 


282    Methodism:  Present  and  Prospective. 

bers  to  gather  in  all  her  converts.  Other 
Churches  are  not  backward  to  secure  theirs  to 
their  own  respective  communions  ;  and  they  are 
praiseworthy  for  all  appropriate  efforts  to  this  end. 

All  converts  should  find  their  own  proper 
homes.  Methodism  must  not  intrude  herself 
into  fields  not  her  own  to  gather  fruit  for  which 
she  has  bestowed  no  labor,  and  should  as  care- 
fully "  look  to  herself"  that  she  lose  not  the 
things  she  has  wrought,  lest  she  fail  of  "  her 
full  reward."  She  needlessly  loses  many  of  her 
spiritual  children  by  unreasonable  delays  as  well 
as  by  indiscreet  though  well-meant  efforts  in 
their  behalf,  thus  causing  Christ  and  his  pre- 
cious cause  to  be  "  wounded  in  the  house  of  his 
friends." 

It  is  also  important  that  due  attention  be  paid 
to  the  proper  manner  of  this  reception.  The 
relation  of  a  probationer  with  us  is  an  important 
one.  It  involves  special  responsibilities.  Lax 
administrators  have  been  betrayed  into  inju- 
dicious methods  of  doing  this  part  of  their  work. 
Some  have  been  received  into  this  relation  in 
class  without  due  form,  explanation,  or  examina- 
tion ;  and  others  have  been  thus  recognized  not 
only  without  attention  to  these  prerequisites, 
but  without  the  knowledge  of  the  class  to  which 
their  names  have  been  attached.  Some,  even, 


Converts  and  Probationers.  283 

have  had  their  names  recorded  as  probationers 
without  their  own  proper  consent  or  knowledge, 
who,  when  interrogated  by  succeeding  pastors, 
express  surprise,  and  perhaps  refuse  to  be  thus 
recognized.  By  these  loose  methods  of  admin- 
istration our  Church  has  suffered  the  loss  of 
many  of  her  probationers.  They  have  not  felt 
the  responsibilities  of  this  new  relation.  To 
remedy  this  evil  as  far  as  possible  more  special 
care  should  be  taken  to  impress  them  that  they 
have,  in  this  act,  "  taken  the  vows  of  God  "  upon 
them  to  be  faithful  to  the  end. 

This  should  be  done  openly  before  the  Church, 
when  the  pastor  should  give  full  and  careful  in- 
struction and  counsel  in  reference  to  the  serious 
and  permanent  obligations  which  they  then  as- 
sume. But  the  chief  cause  of  this  loss  is, 
doubtless,  to  be  found  in  Christian  families  and 
in  the  Churches,  by  the  lack  of  the  Christian 
culture  there  required. 

Young  converts  look  for  a  hearty  welcome 
into  their  new  associations.  They  need  this, 
as  they  break  away  from  their  former  vain  as- 
sociations with  the  world.  They  need  the  spe- 
cial and  earnest  prayers  of  the  Church.  They 
need  the  hearty  counsel,  the  cheerful  co-opera- 
tion, and  faithful  example  of  both  pastor  and 
people. 


284    Methodism:  Present  and  Prospective, 

Says  a  judicious  writer:  "Scores  die  spiritu- 
ally for  lack  of  nurturing  food  and  wholesome 
atmosphere  in  the  Church.  They  are  some- 
times poisoned  to  death  by  the  divisions  in  the 
Churches,  or  frozen  to  death  by  their  coldness. 
Few  spiritual  '  babes '  are  lost  .where  a  Church 
is  in  a  united  and  spiritual  state,  and  when  they 
are  from  the  first  carefully  instructed,  watched 
over,  and  introduced  into  such  Christian  serv* 
ices  as  their  experience  and  talents  render  prac- 
ticable." 

Very  few  of  our  probationers  will  backslide 
or  go  from  us  to  other  Churches  when  we  be- 
stow on  them  proper  care  and  suitable  culture. 

But  with  all  this  responsibility  upon  our 
Church  toward  her  converts  and  probationers 
there  is  danger  that  these  new  recruits  into  her 
ranks  may  be  left  to  feel  that  they  can  be  car- 
ried on  her  shoulders  or  nursed  in  her  lap  with- 
out a  proper  sense  of  their  own  personal  obliga- 
tions, so  that  when  they  should  have  become 
strong  men  and  women  in  Christ  they  will  still 
remain  weak,  and  become  spiritually  sickly,  not 
capable  of  performing  their  appropriate  work  for 
the  cause  of  God — a  result  of  their  own  personal 
neglects,  for  which  she  cannot  be  held  respon- 
sible. If  they  are  advanced  to  full  membership 
they  seldom  become  efficient  workers  for  Christ, 


Converts  and  Probationers.  285 

but  generally  remain  dead-weights,  mere  hang- 
ers-on —  idlers  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord. 
"  We  are  persuaded  better  things  of"  most  of 
her  young  members — "  things  which  pertain  to 
salvation,"  "  though  we  thus  speak."  But  we  de- 
sire to  call  attention  to  the  solemn  responsibili- 
ties of  their  positions,  that  they  may  feel  their 
individual  responsibility  to  act  well  their  own 
appropriate  parts  for  Christ  and  his  cause. 

Every  member  of  the  Church,  old  or  young, 
is  called  upon  to  make  known  the  blessedness 
of  the  Gospel,  and  it  seems  to  be  the  special 
demand  of  the  hour,  with  all  the  encourage- 
ments which  surround  us,  and  the  extent  of  the 
Gospel  field,  all  ripe  for  a  golden  harvest,  that 
the  Church  should  become  "thoroughly  fur- 
nished unto  every  good  word  and  work"  by  all 
the  aids  within  her  reach,  and  use  them  to  the 
glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  men.  And 
we  may  say  with  Paul,  "  Finally,  brethren,  what- 
soever things  are  true,  whatsoever  things  are 
honest,  whatsoever  things  are  just,  whatsoever 
things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely, 
and  whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report ; 
if  there  be  any  virtue,  if  there  be  any  praise," 
may  our  Church  and  all  her  spiritual  children 
"  think  on "  and  practically  exemplify  "  these 
things." 


286    Metlwdism :  Present  and  Prospective. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Reciprocal  Claims  Upon  Pastors  and 
People  Growing  Out  of  Our  Methodist 
Itinerant  System. 


HERE  are  reciprocal  claims  growing  out 
of  the  relation  of  pastors  and  people, 
whether  connected  with  our  system  of 
supplying  pastors  or  the  more  settled  ministry 
of  other  Churches.  My  aim  is  to  show  the 
reciprocal  claims  which  must  be  met  with 
cheerful  fidelity  to  the  cause  of  God  in  order 
to  secure  the  continued  success  of  Methodism. 
Among  these  I  will  name  the  following : 

i.  There  should  be  mutual  submission  to  the 
appointing  power  of  the  Church. 

According  to  the  established  polity  of  our 
Church  the  itinerant  pastor  relinquishes  the 
right  of  choosing  his  own  parish.  He  entered 
the  itinerant  ministry  with  the  express  under- 
standing that  he  would  not  enter  into  any  nego- 
tiations with  any  people  to  become  their  pastor, 
but  become  pledged  to  keep  himself  free  (while 


Claims  Upon  Pastors  and  People.       287 

in  the  itinerant  ranks,  and  able  to  do  so)  to  go 
to  any  circuit  or  station  required  of  him  by  the 
appointing  power  of  the  Church. 

This  is  the  rule.  If  any  one's  practice  should 
vary  from  it,  the  stipulated  engagement,  into 
which  he  voluntarily  entered,  would  be  in- 
fringed, and,  if  adopted  by  our  ministry  exten- 
sively, would  not  only  result  in  great  embar- 
rassment, but  inevitable  ruin  to  the  itinerant 
system. 

The  itinerant  has  the  right  of  reporting  his 
embarrassments,  of  expressing  his  preferences, 
and  stating  his  necessities  to  the  proper  au- 
thorities of  the  Church.  This  is  perfectly 
reasonable,  and  in  some  cases  really  neces- 
sary ;  but  he  should  never  enter  into  any  ne- 
gotiations with  any  particular  parish  to  become 
its  pastor. 

This  duty  of  the  pastor  has  its  reciprocal 
claims  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  a  station. 
They  should  never  attempt  any  negotiations 
with  certain  select  preachers,  nor  set  up  special 
demands  for  any  particular  one  of  them,  to  the 
rejection  of  others.  The  people  of  a  station  can 
and  ought  faithfully  to  represent  their  wants  and 
wishes  to  the  appointing  power  of  the  Church, 
and,  if  they  choose,  even  petition  for  certain 
pastors,  but  ever  yield  cheerfully  to  the  discre- 


288    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective. 

tion  of  those  who  have  the  responsibility  of 
making  the  appointments. 

If  the  laity  of  our  Churches  or  our  congrega- 
tions should  ever  become  disloyal  to  our  ap- 
pointing authority  our  itinerant  system  must 
die.  Our  people  should  leave  our  noble  itiner- 
rant  plan,  which  has  wrought  such  wonderful 
success  during  the  past  century,  free  to  pursue 
its  glorious  mission  untrammeled  for  all  time  to 
come. 

2.  Another  duty  growing  out  of  our  itinerant 
system  is  a  reciprocal  welcome  by  pastors  and 
people. 

The  pastor,  when  appointed  to  a  new  station, 
should  go  cheerfully,  joyously,  and  courageously 
to  his  work.  What  though  his  new  field  of  la- 
bor may  not  have  been  his  first  choice,  and  not 
quite  agreeable  to  his  tastes  ?  what  though  the 
Church  may  not  be  numerically,  financially,  or 
religiously  strong  and  vigorous  ?  yet  he  will  find 
souls  to  save,  and  enough  to  do  to  tax  all  the 
energies  of  soul  and  body  in  the  prosecution  of 
his  pulpit  and  pastoral  work.  And  what  a  priv- 
ilege to  win  souls  to  Christ  in  any  place  !  Why 
should  he  not  be  cheerful,  joyous,  courageous  ? 
The  Lord  of  the  vineyard  has  said,  "  Lo,  I 
am  with  you  always,  even  to  the  end  of  the 
world." 


Claims  Upon  Pastors  and  People.        289 

A  disheartened,  discontented,  murmuring 
pastor  will  soon  diffuse  his  own  spirit  among 
his  own  people,  and  never  will  he  do  this  more 
easily  than  when  he  first  comes  among  them- 
He  should  be  exceedingly  careful  at  this  point. 
I  have  known  some  to  paralyze  all  their  moral 
power  for  good  among  their  people  by  entering 
upon  their  pastoral  work  in  their  new  charges 
in  a  sad,  complaining  spirit. 

This  claim  upon  newly-appointed  pastors  has 
its  corresponding  claim  on  the  part  of  the  peo- 
ple of  the  stations  to  give  them  a  hearty  recep- 
tion. What  though  they  have  just  parted  with 
a  devoted  minister,  whom  they  loved  most  ar- 
dently ;  what  though  he  had  been  proved,  in 
sickness  and  in  health,  to  have  been  a  friend 
of  his  people  indeed  ;  what  though  they  had 
sat  under  his  ministrations  with  great  delight ; 
has  not  the  new  pastor  just  left  a  beloved  peo- 
ple, tried  friends,  and  those  with  whom  he  had 
"  taken  sweet  counsel  ? "  Has  he  not  come 
among  strangers  "in  weakness  and  fear  and 
much  trembling,"  to  be  criticised  in  all  his 
movements  ?  He  and  his  family  will  need  to 
be  more  than  human  not  to  feel  most  keenly 
the  greatly  changed  condition. 

A  hearty  reception  he  greatly  needs.     It  will 

wonderfully  cheer  him  on  in  his  work  and  labor 
19 


290    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective. 

of  love,  and  ever  be  held  by  him  in  grateful 
remembrance.  And  why  not  give  him  such  a 
reception  ?  He  professes  to  be  the  Lord's 
chosen  messenger.  He  has  been  approved  by 
the  Church,  and  his  character  just  indorsed  by 
his  conference.  He  comes  to  his  new  parish 
to  comfort  the  sorrowing,  to  strengthen  the 
weak,  to  visit  the  sick,  to  bury  the  dead.  A 
cold  reception  must  chill  his  soul,  and  work 
disastrously  through  all  his  term  of  service 
among  them.  Such  sad  results  have  been  seen 
and  felt  again  and  again.  I  repeat,  Let  the 
people  give  their  newly-appointed  pastors  hearty 
receptions ! 

3.  There  are  also  reciprocal  claims  with  ref- 
erence to  removals  and  parsonages. 

The  Methodist  pastor,  for  the  sake  of  the 
Church,  sacrifices  the  enjoyments  of  an  estab- 
lished home.  This,  from  the  nature  of  his 
calling,  he  cannot  provide  for  himself.  Also, 
his  furniture  must  be  removed  from  place  to 
place,  marred,  and  deficient,  and  himself  and 
family  subjected  to  no  small  inconvenience  and 
expense.  The  task  of  moving  brings  with  it 
much  hard  labor,  anxiety  and  perplexity,  which 
few  understand  and  fewer  still  appreciate.  But 
these  things  are  inseparably  connected  with  the 
itinerant  system,  and  must  be  heroically  borne. 


Claims  Upon  Pastors  and  People.       291 

There  are  reciprocal  claims  belonging  to  the 
people  of  a  parish,  also,  in  these  matters.  They 
can  lighten  the  burdens  of  these  removals  to  a 
great  extent,  and  are  in  duty  bound  to  do  it  as 
far  as  possible.  They  should  provide  well-lo- 
cated, convenient  and  pleasant  parsonages  for 
their  preachers,  and  keep  them  in  good  repair. 
They  should  provide  at  least  all  the  needed 
heavy  furniture,  and  see  that  every  thing  is  in 
good  condition  for  the  reception  and  use  of  the 
family. 

Where  parsonages  cannot  be  built  nor  bought 
for  lack  of  funds,  the  stewards  of  the  Church,  in 
behalf  of  the  people,  should  hire,  and  as  far  as- 
possible  furnish,  suitable  houses  ;  and  when  thus 
provided,  the  pastors  are  bound  to  occupy  and 
use  them  with  all  proper  care,  or  provide  for 
themselves  without  a  murmur  or  unreasonable 
expense  to  the  society  they  serve. 

A  pastor  who  is  disposed  to  find  fault  with 
the  house  and  furniture  which  his  people  have 
provided  for  him,  when  they  have  attempted 
to  do  well,  will  soon  find  he  has  given  severe 
offense,  and  that  his  own  influence  is  greatly 
harmed.  When  removals  become  unavoidable, 
the  people  of  his  station  ought  to  lend  a  help- 
ing hand,  by  taking  all  reasonable  burdens  on 
themselves.  And  when  they  have  done  their 


292    Methodism  :  Present  and  Prospective. 

best,  there  will  still  remain  heavy  burdens  upon 
the  removing  pastor  and  family  which  no  human 
aid  can  fully  remedy.  "  Bear  ye  one  another's 
burdens,  and  so  fulfill  the  law  of  Christ." 

4.  We  will  now  consider  the  reciprocal  claims 
with  reference  to  salaries. 

The  itinerant  pastor  is  not  expected  to  make 
any  stipulated  agreement  with  his  people  in 
regard  to  his  salary.  On  going  to  his  new  ap- 
pointment, it  devolves  upon  the  quarterly  con- 
ference to  decide  upon  this,  according  to  what 
its  members  may  regard  as  a  fair  estimate.  The 
pastor  will  be  obliged  to  grade  his  expenses 
accordingly. 

There  is  a  corresponding  duty  devolving  upon 
the  people  of  his  parish  through  the  quarterly 
conference,  to  place  the  estimate  at  a  liberal 
and  honorable  figure.  For  "  they  who  preach 
the  Gospel  should  live  of  the  Gospel,"  and 
surely  "  the  laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire."  This 
estimated  salary  should  be  placed  high  enough 
to  remove  the  pastor  from  all  reasonable  anxi- 
ety with  reference  to  current  expenses,  high 
enough  with  suitable  economy  to  leave  a  small 
surplus  in  his  hands  at  the  end  of  .the  year  to 
lay  by  for  future  want.  When  the  estimate  is 
thus  settled  upon,  the  people  of  the  station, 
through  the  proper  officers  of  the  Church, 


Claims  Upon  Pastors  and  People.       293 

should  see  to  it  that  it  is  paid  promptly — if 
possible  monthly, -at  furthest  quarterly,  in  ad- 
vance. More  than  this.  Substantial  tokens 
of  kind  regard  in  presents  to  the  pastor  and 
family  are  good  investments  for  the  Worthy 
receiver,  but  much  better  for  the  cheerful  giver. 
For  "it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive." 
Some  of  us  can  testify  to  the  blessedness  of  re- 
ceiving, under  such  circumstances,  and  others 
who  cheerfully  give  oft  testify  to  the  rich  bless- 
edness of  so  doing.  With  this  liberal  provision 
made  for  the  pastor's  support,  it  becomes  his 
duty  to  devote  all  his  time  and  talents  to  pro- 
mote the  religious  welfare  of  his  people.  And 
why  should  he  not  devote  himself  wholly  to 
this  one  work  ?  To  be  "  worthy  of  his  hire " 
he  must  be  a  "laborer."  To  "live  of  the  Gos- 
pel "  he  must  "  give  himself  wholly "  to  the 
Gospel ;  "  never  be  unemployed,  never  trifling- 
ly  employed,  never  spend  more  time  at  any 
place  than  is  strictly  necessary." 

This  is  the  disciplinary  rule.  If  strictly  lived 
up  to  the  pastor  will  find  no  time  to  engage  in 
worldly  schemes  for  gain,  none  for  jockeying  in 
horses,  none  for  any  of  those  miserably  penuri- 
ous modes  of  trade  which  would  waste  time  and 
degrade  the  minister.  More  than  this.  The 
itinerant  pastor  should  rise  far  above  all  low, 


294    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective. 

whining  cant,  all  dolorous  complaint  about 
great  sacrifices,  small  pay,  .poor  stations,  and 
pinching  poverty,  in  order  to  excite  sympathy. 
A  whining,  grumbling  pastor  is  a  perfect  nuis- 
ance in  any  place,  and  at  all  times.  He  should 
either  immediately  reform,  or  retire  from  the 
ministry.  If  his  pay  is  small,  he  should  seek 
by  faithful  labors  to  show  to  the  people  that  he 
deserves  better  fare.  Should  his  parish  prove 
to  be  undesirable,  he  should  strive  to  make  it 
better.  Should  he  find  his  people  to  be  poor, 
he  should  for  the  time  being  cheerfully  share 
with  them  their  poverty.  But  for  the  honor 
of  the  sacred  office  he  should  never  disgrace 
his  calling  by  descending  to  a  whining  cant,  to 
low  schemes  for  gain,  nor  by  becoming  a  poor, 
whimpering  beggar. 

5.  An  early  acquaintance  should  be  mutu- 
ally sought  between  pastor  and  people. 

After  becoming  comfortably  settled  in  his 
new  home,  the  pastor's  next  work  will  be  to 
cultivate  a  mutual  acquaintance  with  his  people. 
This  will  be  found  to  be  no  easy  task.  The 
names,  countenances,  and  places  of  residence  be- 
ing all  new  and  strange  to  him,  and  the  peculiar 
characteristics  and  circumstances  of  each  being 
yet  mainly  unknown,  the  task  will  be  difficult 
and  sometimes  quite  embarrassing  ;  neverthe- 


Claims  Upon  Pastors  and  People.       295 

less,  it  must  be  undertaken  without  delay,  and 
in  due  time  accomplished. 

In  this  peculiarly  difficult  but  interesting 
work  his  mode  of  operations  and  social  charac- 
teristics will  be  closely  scrutinized. 

He  will  need  and  must  receive  the  sympathy 
and  aid  of  his  people  in  this  work.  They  should 
make,  early  in  the  year,  friendly  calls  at  the 
parsonage,  and  thus  seek  an  early  acquaintance 
with  its  occupants.  Some  shun  an  acquaintance 
with  the  minister  and  family,  and  then  complain 
bitterly  of  neglect.  This  is  a  great  fault.  If 
any  wish  an  acquaintance  why  not  show  it  ? 

In  his  efforts  to  form  an  acquaintance  early 
in  the  year  the  new  pastor  can  be  greatly  aided 
by  his  people  if  they  will  take  the  time  and 
pains  to  introduce  him  to  friends,  and  even  ac- 
company him  to  different  streets  and  neighbor- 
hoods for  this  specific  purpose.  The  writer  has 
been  greatly  assisted  at  different  times  by  such 
timely  efforts  of  kind  friends. 

Strangers  coming  into  the  parish  should  also 
seek  an  early  introduction.  Should  they  fail  to 
do  this,  and  still  remain  strangers  to  the  pastor, 
they  should  blame  themselves,  not  him,  for  the 
failure.  I  have  known  some  who  had  even 
shunned  an  acquaintance  and  then  complained 
of  neglect,  when  they  were  utterly  unknown  to 


296   Methodism  :  Present  and  Prospective. 

the  pastor.  Why  blame  him  when  they  are  at 
fault  themselves  in  this  matter  ? 

Again,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  pastor  to  seek  out 
the  weak,  the  wandering,  the  sick  and  afflicted 
of  his  flock.  This  is  imperative.  He  cannot 
neglect  them  without  becoming  untrue  to  his 
calling.  For  apparent  neglect  he  will  be  liable 
to  censure,  when  the  special  cases  demanding 
attention  will  be  unknown  to  him.  To  obviate 
this  difficulty  those  acquainted  with  special  cases 
demanding  immediate  attention  should,  in  a 
prudent  '  and  judicious  manner,  inform  him 
thereof ;  and  a  faithful  pastor  will  take  the  first 
opportunity  to  visit  them. 

While  it  may  be  perfectly  appropriate  for  any 
one  to  impart  this  information  to  the  pastor,  the 
Discipline  of  our  Church  makes  it  specially  oblig- 
atory upon  the  stewards  "  to  inform  the  preach- 
er of  any  that  are  sick  among  them,  or  walk 
disorderly,  and  will  not  be  reproved  ; "  making 
it  evidently  their  duty  to  first  visit  the  sick  and 
seek  to  win  back  the  erring.  A  good  sugges- 
tion this,  by  which  our  lay  members  should 
practically  profit  more  than  they  do.  . 

6.  We  will  come  now  to  another  duty  grow- 
ing out  of  our  itinerant  system,  for  both  pastors 
and  people.  I  refer  to  liberty  of  conscience  in 
political  matters. 


Claims  Upon  Pastors  and  People.       297 

We  live  in  days  when  great  moral  questions 
are  stirring  the  public  heart — when  important 
issues  are  to  be  settled  by  political  action — and 
as  time  passes  on  the  great  moral  questions 
which  must  arise  will  assume  more  importance 
in  the  public  mind,  and  must  have  significant 
bearings  on  political  parties. 

The  itinerant  minister  will  need  to  take  some 
important  part  in  these  matters.  He  must  read 
for  himself  the  stirring  events  of  the  day.  He 
will  need  to  inform  himself  with  reference  to 
the  great  moral  issues  to  be  settled  at  the  bal- 
lot-box. 

By  reason  of  his  changing  his  pastoral  rela- 
tions every  few  years,  and  thus  being  thrown 
into  new  circumstances  very  often,  he  must 
learn  that  there  is  a  time  to  speak  and  a  time 
to  be  silent — a  time  to  act  and  a  time  to  re- 
frain from  acting  ;  that  while  he  should  not 
ignore  politics  as  a  science,  he  should  rise  far 
above  all  party  trammels,  and  act  for  himself 
independently,  prudently,  conscientiously,  in  his 
sphere,  as  a  man  and  as  a  citizen. 

There  is  a  corresponding  claim  devolving  on 
the  people  of  his  charge  to  leave  him  free  to 
speak  and  vote  according  to  the  dictates  of  his 
own  conscience,  without  friction,  without  cen- 
sure, and  without  attempted  trammels.  More 


298    Methodism  :  Present  and  Prospective. 

than  this  :  the  pastor,  claiming  this  right  for 
himself,  should  never  attempt  to  dictate  to  his 
people  in  respect  to  their  political  action,  nor 
censure  them  for  their  conscientious  use  of  the 
elective  franchise.  Without  this  reciprocal  free- 
dom between  pastors  and  their  people  unprofit- 
able bickerings  and  untold  evils  will  follow. 
With  it  peace  and  harmony,  in  this  regard,  will 
prevail  in  all  our  borders. 

7.  There  are,  also,  reciprocal  claims  between 
pastors  and  people  with  reference  to  reputation 
important  to  consider. 

I  regard  every  person's  reputation  of  more 
importance  than  the  choicest  gold.  When  one 
resides  long  among  old  and  tried  friends  his 
reputation  may  become  so  established  as  to  be 
above  reproach  or  even  suspicion,  and,  there- 
fore, comparatively  secure  ;  but  if  he  shall  be 
obliged  to  be  often  thrown  into  the  midst  of 
new  surroundings  and  among  strangers,  to  rise 
or  fall  according  to  the  estimate  of  an  untried 
public  opinion,  his  case  becomes  essentially  dif- 
ferent. Such  is  the  condition  of  our  itinerant 
ministers.  Their  people  should  "  hold  them  in 
reputation"  Not  exalt  them  above  their  place, 
up  among  the  stars,  nor  trample  them  under 
their  feet  into  the  dust,  but  give  them  a  fair  and 
honorable  place,  just  such  as  they  are  properly 


Claims  Upon  Pastors  and  People.       299 

entitled  to  by  virtue  of  their  calling  as  the 
"  under  shepherds  "  of  Christ,  "  the  chief  Shep- 
herd "  of  all.  They  should  be  "  esteemed  very 
highly  in  love  for  their  work's  sake."  They 
should  "  be  held"  there — neither  too  high  nor 
too  low,  but  just  where  their  talents  and  useful- 
ness demand.  This,  with  proper  care  and  ef- 
fort on  the  part  of  both  people  and  pastor,  can 
and  ought  to  be  done.  Speak  well  of  them 
and  to  them  ;  vindicate  their  characters  when 
assailed  ;  show  them  proper  respect ;  pray  for 
them.  The  people  of  each  parish  should  do 
this  for  their  own  sakes  as  well  as  for  their  pas- 
tor's, and  especially  for  Christ's  sake. 

There  is  an  equal  claim  on  the  pastors  to 
speak  well  of  their  people;  to  "hold"  them  "in 
reputation  also;"  not  magnify  their  faults,  but 
speak  charitably  of  their  foibles  ;  not  report 
them  unfavorably  abroad,  but  as  far  as  possible 
seek  to  encourage  and  promote  "whatsoever 
things  are  lovely,  whatsoever  things  are  true, 
whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report"  at  home 
and  abroad.  The  pastor  may,  unintentionally, 
give  a  bad  odor,  and  that  very  unjustly,  to>his 
parish,  by  speaking  very  carelessly  of  some  real 
and  many  imaginary  faults  of  his  people — a 
thing  most  scrupulously  to  be  avoided. 

8.  There  are   many  other  reciprocal  duties 


3OO    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective, 

growing  out  of  our  itinerant  system,  of  which  I 
might  make  mention,  but  have  time  and  space 
for  only  one  more.  I  refer  to  the  duties  con- 
nected with  the  close  of  the  pastoral  relation 
between  minister  and  people  in  a  given  parish. 
According  to  the  economy  of  our  itinerant 
system,  this  relation  changes  according  to  cir- 
cumstances, once  in  one,  two,  or  three  ecclesi- 
astical years.  In  his  closing  work  in  a  charge 
the  pastor  has  special  duties  to  discharge.  He 
must  collect  and  arrange  all  the  benevolent 
moneys  ordered  by  his  conference ;  make  his 
closing  pastoral  calls  ;  administer  disciplinary 
rules  in  special  cases  of  unworthy  members  ; 
review  and  make  faithful  records  in  the  church 
books  ;  prepare  a  full  and  accurate  "  Pocket 
Register"  for  his  successor,  giving  therein  the 
names  of  members  in  full  connection  and  those 
on  trial — in  separate  columns — and  their  differ- 
ent streets  and  other  localities ;  also  a  list  of 
subscribers  to  our  various  Church  periodicals, 
and  many  other  items  too  numerous  here  to 
name ;  and  then  smooth  the  way  for  his  suc- 
cessor to  take  his  place  with  the  least  possible 
friction.  Thus  should  the  transition  be  made 
comparatively  easy  and  pleasant.  These  are 
duties  he  owes  not  only  to  himself,  but  to  his 
people  and  to  his  successor  in  office.  From  the 


Claims  Upon  Pastors  and  People.        301 

neglect  of  it  great  harm  may  be  done.  It  is 
feared  that  some  pastors,  during  the  last  months 
of  their  term  of  service  in  their  stations,  while 
mingling  with  their  people,  make  special  effort 
to  awaken  sympathy  in  view  of  the  coming 
event,  by  preaching  exciting  farewell  sermons, 
and  frequent  needless  allusions  to  their  sadness 
in  the  expected  separation.  Thus  the  way  is 
prepared,  with  weak  minds,  for  great  friction  in 
the  change  soon  to  occur.  This  course  is  de- 
serving of  severe  censure.  Pastors  should  be 
discreet  and  faithful  in  all  the  closing  work  of 
their  charges. 

The  people  of  the  pastoral  charge  have 
their  special  duties  also  in  this  regard.  They 
should  promptly  pay  in  all  benevolent  moneys 
pledged,  cheerfully  aid  the  pastor  in  his  many 
closing  labors,  and  smooth  the  way,  as  far  as 
possible,  for  an  easy  transition  to  the  next 
preacher. 

These  reciprocal  duties,  when  faithfully  ob- 
served in  practice,  will  greatly  strengthen  the 
hands  and  encourage  the  hearts  both  of  our 
ministry  and  membership,  more  closely  unite 
them  "in  every  good  word  and  work,"  and 
make  our  Church  more  efficient  than  ever  for 
the  building  up  of  the  cause  of  Christ  in  the 
earth. 


302    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective. 

I  will  conclude  this  chapter  with  the  appro- 
priate words  of  Holy  Writ,  to  both  the  pastors 
and  laity. 

Pastors  !  "  Feed  the  flock  of  God  which  is 
among  you,  taking  the  oversight  thereof,  not 
by  constraint,  but  willingly ;  not  for  filthy  lucre, 
but  of  a  ready  mind ;  neither  as  being  lords 
over  God's  heritage,  but  being  examples  of  the 
flock.  And  when  the  Chief  Shepherd  shall  ap- 
pear, ye  shall  receive  a  crown  of  glory  that 
fadeth  not  away." 

Laymen  of  the  Church !  "  Now  we  beseech 
you,  brethren,  to  know  them  who  labor  among 
you,  and  are  over  you  in  the  Lord,  and  admon- 
ish you,  and  to  esteem  them  very  highly  in  love 
for  their  work's  sake,  and  be  at  peace  among 
yourselves." 


Assurances  for  Future  Success.          303 


CHAPTER  V. 

Methodism—  What  are  Her  Assurances  for 
Future   Success  ? 


have  referred,  in  other  chapters,  to 
the  rapid  increase  of  the  Methodist 
Church  in  numbers  and  wealth  ;  to 
her  present  great  educational  advantages  ;  to 
her  peculiar  polity,  organic  unity,  and  great 
efficiency,  and  to  her  dangers  and  duties.  We 
come  now  to  inquire,  What  are  her  real  assur- 
ances for  future  success  ? 

These  are  mainly  dependent  upon  her  con- 
tinued development  of  experimental  and  prac- 
tical godliness. 

Methodism,  at  her  beginning,  could  not  be 
satisfied  with  mere  forms  and  ceremonies  in 
religion,  nor  in  mere  assent  to  the  "Thirty-nine 
Articles"  of  Faith  of  the  Established  Church, 
nor  in  the  claims  of  that  Church  to  exclusive 
divine  rights  through  "  apostolic  succession." 
But  she  sought  for  genuine  and  deep  Christian 
experience,  and  found  it,  in  spiritual  regenera- 
tion, divine  adoption,  and  holy  communings 
with  God. 


304    Methodism  :  Present  and  Prospective. 

She  also  sought  out  the  means  of  grace  by 
which  her  Christian  graces  could  mature  and 
her  flame  of  devotion  be  kept  constantly  alive 
and  on  the  increase.  She  found  them  in  her  se- 
cret devotions,  her  scriptural  studies,  her  family 
altars,  her  weekly  class  and  prayer  meetings, 
her  "love-feasts"  and  "band  meetings  ;"  in  her 
"  spiritual  songs,"  her  street-preaching,  and  her 
frequent  itinerating  mission  work. 

Though  poor,  despised  and  persecuted,  she 
has  continued  thus  to  go  on,  under  the  guiding 
hand  of  Providence  and  by  the  power  of  the 
divine  Spirit,  from  conquest  to  conquest,  and 
winning  her  widening  way  unto  this  day. 

The  continued  development  of  experimental 
and  practical  godliness  will  prove  her  best 

SAFEGUARD  AGAINST  HERETICAL   DOCTRINES. 

The  doctrines  of  Methodism  have  been,  in  all 
their  essentials,  unquestioned  from  the  first  by 
all  her  different  organizations,  whatever  differ- 
ences have  existed  in  regard  to  Church  polity. 
This  fact  may  be  accounted  for  mainly  from  the 
fact  that  her  doctrines  have  been  tested  by  hu- 
man experience.  As  Christ  has  said  :  "  If  any 
man  shall  do  my  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doc- 
trine, whether  it  be  of  God,  or  whether  I  speak  of 
myself."  Human  depravity,  man's  guilt  and  final 


Assurances  for  Futtire  Success.          305 

accountability,  his  moral  agency,  his  "justifica- 
tion by  faith  alone,"  the  true  divinity  of  Christ, 
his  vicarious  sacrifice  for  sin,  the  witness  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  his  adoption,  and  the  attainable- 
ness  of  "perfect  love,"  are  the  essential  senti- 
ments of  Methodism,  and  have  been  tested  as 
living  realities  by  the  personal  experience  of  all 
her  members  who  have  lived  in  the  sunlight  of  a 
present,  free,  and  full  salvation. 

If  her  membership  shall  earnestly  seek  to 
keep  close  to  Christ,  her  "  all  and  in  all,"  by  a 
living  faith  "  a  faith,  which  works  by  love,"  she 
shall  continue,  as  in  the  past,  "  in  the  unity  of 
that  true  faith,"  which  claims  him  as  her  "  wis- 
dom, sanctification,  and  redemption."  Thus, 
building  upon  "  the  sure  foundation,"  the  "  Rock 
of  Ages,"  against  her  the  gates  of  hell  cannot 
prevail. 

Pure  love  to  God  and  man  will  have  a  power- 
ful tendency  to  give  the  Church 

A  SAFE  DIRECTION  TO  ALL  HER  VAST  RESOURCES. 

It  will  do  this  by  awakening  and  keeping 
alive  a  quenchless  love  for  our  fallen  race,  and 
by  devising  right  and  "  liberal  things  "  for  their 
mental,  social,  moral,  and  spiritual  elevation  and 
eternal  salvation.  It  will  aim  to  turn  all  her 

resources,   whether  by  her   members,  wealth, 
20 


306    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective. 

educational  facilities,  or  her  Church  benevolent 
enterprises,  into  such  channels  as  shall  tend  to 
promote  "  peace  on  earth,  good-will  to  men,  and 
'glory  to  God  in  the  highest."  Such  is  the  mis- 
sion of  genuine  Methodism. 

True,  experimental,  and  practical  godliness  in 
the  membership  will  secure  to  her 

SAFETY    IN    THE    PRACTICAL    WORKING    OF    HER 
PECULIAR   CHURCH    POLITY. 

That  there  is  great  power  vested  in  her  own 
regularly  appointed  officers  for  the  practical 
workings  of  the  system  none  will  wish  to  deny ; 
but  it  is  a  perfectly  safe  power  when  all  its  parts 
are  in  good  working  order.  When  this  whole 
machinery — not  of  "  the  great  iron  wheel,"  as  it 
has  been  most  unjustly  called  by  some,  but 
more  like  Ezekiel's  vision,  of  a  "  wheel  within  a 
wheel,"  moved  by  "  living  creatures  "  under  di- 
vine direction — is  employed  for  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  welfare  of  mankind,  it  moves  forward 
without  unhealthy  friction  or  serious  embarrass- 
ments ;  but  if  Methodism  shall  ever  lose  her 
sincere  love  for  Christ's  holy  cause  (the  only 
element  in  which  her  ecclesiastical  organism  or 
that  of  any  other  Church  can  be  safely  worked) 
she  will  find  that  severe  strains  and  ruptures 
will  follow.  Her  real  safety  can  be  found  only 


Assurances  for  Future  Success.          307 

in  the  constant  development  of  deep  Christian 
experience  and  its  practical  outward  manifesta- 
tions. So  also  will  true  godliness  give  the  Meth- 
odist Church 

GREAT  CATHOLICITY  OF  SPIRIT 

toward  all  of  every  name  who  love  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity. 

Different  denominations  of  Christians  may 
be  likened  to  the  different  tribes  of  Israel  on 
their  way  to  their  earthly  Canaan — their  land 
of  promise.  They  bore  different  names,  but 
were  under  the  same  leader,  were  guided  by  the 
same  "  cloudy  pillar,"  ate  of  the  same  "  manna," 
drank  of  the  same  "  rock,"  and  were  bound  to 
the  same  Canaan. 

An  enlightened  Christian  charity  will  extend 
the  hand  of  fellowship  to  all  who  belong  to 
God's  modern  spiritual  Israel,  and  bid  them 
God-speed  in  "  every  good  word  and  work." 

Sectarian  bigotry  cannot  live  in  a  truly  de- 
voted heart.  Christians,  from  their  different 
stand-points  of  observation,  see  things  different- 
ly, as  do  those  who  look  at  mountain  scenery. 
But  the  more  steadily  they  fix  their  eyes  of  faith 
upon  Christ,  their  blissful  center,  and  the  nearer 
they  come  to  him,  the  more  they  shall  all  "  see 
him  as  he  is,"  Thus  coming  so  near  to  each 


308    Methodism :  Present  and  Prospective. 

other,  all  their  hearts  shall  beat  in  unison,  and 
in  blissful  harmony  shall  they  together  sing, 

"  Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds 
Our  hearts  in  Christian  love ; 

The  fellowship  of  kindred  minds 
Is  like  to  that  above." 

Sectarian  bigotry  is  no  part  of  genuine  Meth- 
odism. It  has  no  right  in  her  ranks,  nor  will 
it  ever  have  place  there  if  her  members  live  up 
to  her  cardinal  principles  of  "  loving  God  with  all 
the  heart,  and  their  neighbors  as  themselves." 

This  "pure  and  undefiled  religion"  in  the 
hearts  and  lives  of  the  membership  of  the 
Church  will 

SECURE  TO  HER  DIVINE  PROTECTION 

"From  all  assaults  of  hell  and  sin; 
From  foes  without  and  foes  within." 

"The  Lord  will  be  round  about  her,  like  a 
wall  of  fire,  and  a  glory  in  her  midst."  No 
weapon  formed  against  her  shall  prosper,  for 
the  Lord  will  be  her  "  sun  and  shield.  He  will 
give  grace  and  glory,  and  no  good  thing  will  he 
withhold  from  them  that  walk  uprightly." 

This  pure  and  experimental  godliness  will 
also  secure  to  Christ's  Church 


Assurances  for  Future  Success.          309 

THE  PRESENCE  AND. POWER  OF  HIS  HOLY  SPIRIT. 

This  is  the  rich  legacy  which  Christ  has  left 
for  his  people,  which  he  has  promised  to  "  shed 
on  them  abundantly,"  and  "  to  work  with  them 
mightily." 

What  a  marvelous  power  is  this  for  both  min- 
isters and  members — the  presence  and  power 
of  the  Almighty  Spirit  to  indite  our  prayers,  to 
quicken  our  hearts,  to  kindle  the  flame  of  devo- 
tion on  our  altars,  to  work  with  and  for  his 
own  servants,  as  they  proclaim  the  great  sal- 
vation to  their  fellow-men,  "  confirming  the 
word  with  signs  following  ! " 

May  "  the  Lord  God  of  our  fathers  "  be  with 
the  Methodist  Church ;  be  with  all  evangelical 
Churches ;  and  "  make  them  a  thousand  times 
as  many  more  as  they  are,  and  bless  them  as  he 
has  promised  to  do !" 


THE  END. 


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Autobiography  of.  By  W.  P.  STRICKLAND,  D.D.  12mo.    1  75 

Early  Crowned. 

A  Memoir  of  Mary  E.  North.    16mo 125 

Emory,  Bishop, 

Life  of.    ByE.  EMORY.    8vo 1  76 

Episcopius, 

Life  of.    By  FREDERIC-  CALDER.    I2mo 1  20 

Fletcher,  John, 

Life  of.     By  Eev.  JOSEPH  BENSON.    12mo 125 

Fletcher,  Mrs.  Mary, 

Life  of.    By  Eev.  H.  MOORE.    12mo 150 

Garrettson,  Rev.  Freeborn, 

Life  of.    By  N.  BANGS,  D.D.    12mo 100 


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